Shloka 47

Devanagari script

कूर्मश्च कृकरो वायुर्देव ईश्वरकारणम् / द्विरुद्धातो गुणौ द्वौ च धूम्रषट्कोणमण्डलम्

Transliteration

kūrmaśca kṛkaro vāyurdeva īśvarakāraṇam / dviruddhāto guṇau dvau ca dhūmraṣaṭkoṇamaṇḍalam

Translation

Kūrma dan Kṛkara, serta Vāyu—angin hayat—disebut sebagai yang bersifat ilahi, muncul daripada Tuhan, punca yang tertinggi. Ada juga dua sifat yang saling bertentangan, serta sebuah maṇḍala enam penjuru yang berasap kelam.

Word by Word

• कूर्मः: Kūrma (name/prāṇa)
• कूर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृकरः: Kṛkara (name/prāṇa)
• कृकरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वायुः: Vāyu (wind; vital air)
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवः: the deity
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईश्वरकारणम्: the cause of Īśvara / lordly cause
• ईश्वरकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ईश्वरस्य कारणम्)

• द्विः: twice
• द्विः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विः (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक/आवृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: twice)

• उद्धातः: raised/elevated (state); elevation
• उद्धातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्धात (प्रातिपदिक; √धा/√धात् से भाव/कृदन्त-सम्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; पाठरूपेण 'उद्धातः' (elevation/raising)

• गुणौ: two qualities
• गुणौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• द्वौ: two
• द्वौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• धूम्रषट्कोणमण्डलम्: a smoky hexagonal circle/diagram
• धूम्रषट्कोणमण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धूम्र + षट् + कोण + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (धूम्रं षट्कोणं यस्य तत् मण्डलम् / षट्कोणस्य मण्डलम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in discourse to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Prāṇic functions (kūrma, kṛkara, vāyu) are divine effects rooted in the Lord as ultimate cause; contemplation includes dual opposing guṇas and a dhūmra ṣaṭkoṇa maṇḍala.

Vedantic Theme: Kārya-kāraṇa-bhāva (effect-cause relation) with Īśvara as nimitta/upādāna; disciplined visualization to refine cognition of subtle principles.

Application: In prāṇāyāma/inner-nyāsa, recognize subsidiary vāyus as expressions of a single causal Lord; visualize a smoky hexagon at the relevant center to stabilize attention and regulate breath.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: subtle-body channels and prāṇa-field (nāḍī-vāyu system)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.23 (enumeration of vāyus, nāḍīs, and maṇḍala-forms)

Characters & Entities

• Vayu
• Ishvara
• Kurma (vayu)
• Krikara (vayu)

FAQs

What is the importance of the prāṇa-vāyus (like Kūrma and Kṛkara) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames subsidiary life-airs as divine principles rooted in Īśvara, indicating that vital functions are part of a sacred, causal order rather than merely physical processes.

How does this verse relate to the soul’s journey and the subtle body?

By listing specific vāyus and their originating cause, the text points to a subtle-body physiology that continues to matter in transitional states (death and post-death movement), where prāṇic forces and subtle configurations are discussed.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Cultivating prāṇa-awareness through disciplined breathing, ethical living, and steady worship aligns one’s life-force with its divine source, supporting mental clarity and spiritual steadiness.