Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 18

Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion

Devanagari script

वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चेति सत्तमाः / त्रिविधो ऽयमहङ्कारो महति प्रलंय व्रजेत्

Transliteration

vaikārikastaijasaśca bhūtādiśceti sattamāḥ / trividho 'yamahaṅkāro mahati pralaṃya vrajet

Translation

Wahai yang terbaik antara orang berbudi, prinsip ego (ahaṅkāra) ini tiga macam—sāttvika (vaikārika), rājasa (taijasa), dan tāmasa (bhūtādi). Pada saat pralaya, ia diserap kembali ke dalam Mahat (akal kosmik) dan kembali kepadanya.

Word by Word

• वैकारिकाः: the vaikārika (type)
• वैकारिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तैजसाः: the taijasa (type)
• तैजसाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• भूतादिः: the bhūtādi (the beginning/source of elements)
• भूतादिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): भूतानाम् आदि:

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सत्तमाः: O best of the good (noble ones)
• सत्तमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘सत्’ इत्यस्य उत्तम-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative)

• त्रिविधः: threefold
• त्रिविधः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-भाव: त्रयः विधाः यस्य

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अहङ्कारः: ego-principle (ahaṅkāra)
• अहङ्कारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महति: in the Mahat (cosmic intellect)
• महति: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रलयम्: dissolution
• प्रलयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्रजेत्: would go/merge
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) teaching cosmology in a Sāṅkhya-Yoga framework

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ahaṅkāra
• Mahat
• Pralaya

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It maps the dissolving of cosmic principles: ego (ahaṅkāra) resolves into Mahat at pralaya, implying that individuality is a contingent tattva rather than the ultimate Self; the Atman/Ishvara stands beyond these evolutes.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports tattva-viveka used in Yoga: by discerning ego as threefold and dissolvable, the practitioner weakens identification with guṇa-based personality and turns inward toward the witnessing consciousness emphasized in Kurma Purana’s Yoga teaching.

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

By presenting a shared Sāṅkhya-Yoga cosmology (tattvas, guṇas, pralaya), the text aligns Shaiva and Vaishnava metaphysics: the same supreme reality taught by Kūrma underlies the dissolution of ego and the path to liberation.