Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 7

Time-Reckoning (Kāla-gaṇanā): Yugas, Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Prākṛta Pralaya

Devanagari script

दिव्यैर्वर्षसहस्त्रैस्तु कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितम् / चतुर्युगं द्वादशभिः तद्विभागं निबोधत

Transliteration

divyairvarṣasahastraistu kṛtatretādisaṃjñitam / caturyugaṃ dvādaśabhiḥ tadvibhāgaṃ nibodhata

Translation

Diukur dalam ribuan tahun ilahi, kitaran yang dinamai Kṛta, Tretā dan seterusnya disebut zaman empat yuga (caturyuga). Ketahuilah pembahagiannya sebagai terdiri daripada dua belas bahagian.

Word by Word

• दिव्यैः: divine
• दिव्यैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन; वर्षसहस्त्रैः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वर्षसहस्त्रैः: by thousands of years
• वर्षसहस्त्रैः: Karana (करण/Measure-instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक (emphasis/contrast)

• कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितम्: called ‘Kṛta, Tretā, etc.’
• कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + त्रेता + आदि + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक; संज्ञि/संज्ञा + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्तान्त (past passive participle) ‘named’; चतुर्युगम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चतुर्युगम्: the four-yuga cycle
• चतुर्युगम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन

• द्वादशभिः: by twelve
• द्वादशभिः: Karana (करण/Measure)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्याशब्द/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental, 3rd), बहुवचन; (युगैः/भागैः) इति अध्याहारः—‘by twelve (parts)’

• तत्: its/that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विभागम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• विभागम्: division
• विभागम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निबोधत: understand/learn
• निबोधत: Kriyā (क्रिया/Command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the teaching of the sages in the Purva-bhāga context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kṛta Yuga
• Tretā Yuga
• Caturyuga

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames the Purāṇic teaching by establishing cosmic time (caturyuga proportions), a backdrop used to discuss dharma and liberation across ages.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific yoga practice is taught in this verse; it provides cosmological time-structure, within which Kurma Purana later situates disciplines like Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā, dharma, and liberation teachings.

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

It does not explicitly address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it is a technical statement on yuga-measurement that supports the Purāṇa’s broader synthesis by grounding teachings in a shared cosmological framework.