Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

इत्येतत् कथितं ज्ञानं भावनासंश्रयं परम् / इन्द्रद्युम्नाय मुनये कथितं यन्मया पुरा

Transliteration

ityetat kathitaṃ jñānaṃ bhāvanāsaṃśrayaṃ param / indradyumnāya munaye kathitaṃ yanmayā purā

Translation

Demikianlah telah diajarkan pengetahuan tertinggi ini—yang bersandar pada realisasi kontemplatif (bhāvanā). Inilah ajaran yang dahulu pernah aku sampaikan kepada resi Indradyumna.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotation/closure particle

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kathitam: told/expounded
• kathitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘told’

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhāvanā-saṃśrayam: based on contemplation
• bhāvanā-saṃśrayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāvanā (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (resting on/depending on contemplation)

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• indradyumnāya: to Indradyumna
• indradyumnāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indradyumna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन; proper noun

• munaye: to the sage
• munaye: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• kathitam: told
• kathitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kath (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; repeated for emphasis

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta/Agent (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन

• purā: formerly
• purā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) as the transmitting teacher in the Kurma Purana dialogue frame

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It frames liberating wisdom as “param jñāna,” a highest knowledge realized through sustained inner cultivation (bhāvanā), implying that Self-knowledge is not mere theory but contemplative realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights bhāvanā—disciplined contemplative cultivation—as the support of supreme knowledge, aligning with Yoga-śāstra emphases on sustained meditation and inner assimilation rather than only ritual or debate.

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

By presenting Viṣṇu (as Lord Kūrma) as the authoritative teacher of “supreme knowledge” that undergirds later Shaiva-oriented yogic teachings, it supports the Purāṇa’s integrative, non-sectarian synthesis of Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva spiritual authority.