Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 158

Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga

Devanagari script

आलोक्य देवीमथ देवमीशं प्रणेमुरानन्दमवापुरग्र्यम् / ज्ञानं तदैशं भगवत्प्रसादा- दाविर्बभौ जन्मविनाशहेतु

Transliteration

ālokya devīmatha devamīśaṃ praṇemurānandamavāpuragryam / jñānaṃ tadaiśaṃ bhagavatprasādā- dāvirbabhau janmavināśahetu

Translation

देवी आणि ईश्वर देव यांना पाहून त्यांनी प्रणाम केला व परम आनंद प्राप्त केला. मग भगवंताच्या कृपेने दिव्य ज्ञान प्रकट झाले—जे पुनर्जन्माचा नाश करणारे आहे.

Word by Word

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action; gerund)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle)

• देवीम्: the Goddess
• देवीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अथ: then
• अथ: सम्बन्ध (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमार्थ (then)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ईशम्: the Lord
• ईशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रणेमुः: they bowed down
• प्रणेमुः: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-नम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आनन्दम्: bliss
• आनन्दम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवापुः: they attained
• अवापुः: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव्+आप् (धातु आप्)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अग्र्यम्: supreme/excellent
• अग्र्यम्: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); आनन्दम् इति विशेषण

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (N), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• ऐशम्: divine/lordly
• ऐशम्: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऐश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (N), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ज्ञानम् इति विशेषण

• भगवत्-प्रसादात्: from the Lord’s grace
• भगवत्-प्रसादात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Ablative; from/because of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (grace of the Lord)

• आविः: manifestly
• आविः: विशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आविः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भाववाचक/प्रादुर्भावार्थ (manifestly)

• बभौ: shone forth/appeared
• बभौ: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जन्म-विनाश-हेतु: the cause of the destruction of rebirth
• जन्म-विनाश-हेतु: विशेष्य (Predicate nominative; complement to ज्ञानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाश (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (M), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (cause of destruction of birth)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration within the Kurma Purana’s Upari-bhaga context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Īśa (the Lord)
• Bhagavān
• Jñāna

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

It teaches that liberating knowledge (jñāna) arises through Bhagavān’s grace and destroys rebirth—implying that realization of the Self/Īśvara is not merely intellectual, but a revealed insight culminating in mokṣa.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes praṇāma (reverential surrender) and the primacy of prasāda (grace), aligning with Pāśupata-oriented devotion and contemplative discipline where humility and worship mature into aiśa-jñāna (divine insight).

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By naming the Lord as Īśa and Bhagavān alongside Devī, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology: the one Supreme Lord, honored with shared epithets across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava language, bestows grace that yields liberation.