Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 79

Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany

Devanagari script

प्रोच्चारन्तौ महानादमोङ्कारं परमं पदम् / प्रह्वाञ्जलिपुटोपेतौ शंभुं तुष्टुवतुः परम्

Transliteration

proccārantau mahānādamoṅkāraṃ paramaṃ padam / prahvāñjalipuṭopetau śaṃbhuṃ tuṣṭuvatuḥ param

Translation

Kami melafazkan dengan lantang suku kata “Oṃ” yang bergema dengan getaran agung—tempat kediaman tertinggi. Dengan kepala tunduk dan kedua tangan dirapatkan dalam añjali, kami memuji Śambhu Yang Maha Tinggi.

Word by Word

• proccārantau: uttering aloud
• proccārantau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ud-√car (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त), Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• mahā-nādam: great-sounding, with a loud sound
• mahā-nādam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) compound; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; used as adjective to 'oṅkāram'

• oṅkāram: the syllable Oṃ
• oṅkāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṅkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifying 'padam'

• padam: word, state, abode
• padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• prahva: bowed down, humble
• prahva: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prahva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual; first member in coordination with 'añjalipuṭopetau' describing the two

• añjali-puṭa-upetau: with hands joined in reverence
• añjali-puṭa-upetau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: añjali (प्रातिपदिक) + puṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + upeta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound: 'añjalipuṭena upetau' (endowed with folded hands); Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• śambhum: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śambhum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śambhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• tuṣṭuvatuḥ: they two praised
• tuṣṭuvatuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: stu (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Dual (द्विवचन), Parasmaipada

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; qualifying 'śambhum'

Speaker

Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator describing the devotees’ act of worship)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāra
• Śambhu (Śiva)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling Oṃkāra the “paramaṃ padam” (supreme state/abode), the verse points to the Supreme reality as accessible through the primordial sound-symbol Oṃ—indicating a transcendent ground that devotionally culminates in the Supreme (here praised as Śambhu).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights mantra-yoga centered on Oṃ (praṇava), combined with embodied devotion—bowing (praṇāma) and añjali—suggesting a Pāśupata-leaning discipline where sound (nāda), reverence, and focused praise stabilize the mind toward īśvara-bhāva.

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

Even without naming Viṣṇu, the Kurma Purana’s broader frame supports a synthesis: the supreme principle is approached through Oṃ and praised as Śambhu, reflecting a non-sectarian tendency where the highest reality is honored through Śaiva language within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa.