Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

Puṣkara-dvīpa, Lokāloka, and the Measure of the Brahmāṇḍa

Cosmic Egg

Devanagari script

तस्याः परेण शैलस्तु मर्यादात्मात्ममण्डलः / प्रकाशश्चाप्रकाशश्च लोकालोकः स उच्यते

Transliteration

tasyāḥ pareṇa śailastu maryādātmātmamaṇḍalaḥ / prakāśaścāprakāśaśca lokālokaḥ sa ucyate

Translation

ତାହାର ପରେ ଏକ ପର୍ବତ ଅଛି; ସେ ଆତ୍ମମଣ୍ଡଳକୁ ଘେରିଥିବା ମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦାରୂପ ସୀମା। ସେ ପ୍ରକାଶମୟ ମଧ୍ୟ, ଅପ୍ରକାଶମୟ ମଧ୍ୟ; ତେଣୁ ‘ଲୋକାଲୋକ’ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of that (earth)
• तस्याः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• परेण: beyond
• परेण: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa; spatial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, तृतीया-प्रयोगार्थे ‘beyond’

• शैलः: mountain
• शैलः: कर्ता (Karta; subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध/अन्वय (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• मर्यादात्मात्ममण्डलः: a sphere whose nature is boundary (a boundary-sphere)
• मर्यादात्मात्ममण्डलः: कर्ता (Karta; apposition to ‘शैलः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative; nested): ‘मर्यादा-आत्मा’ (having boundary as its nature) + ‘आत्म-मण्डल’ (sphere of itself); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रकाशः: light
• प्रकाशः: विशेषण/नाम (part of compound sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समुच्चित-द्वन्द्वार्थे युगपद्)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• अप्रकाशः: non-light, darkness
• अप्रकाशः: विशेषण/नाम (paired with ‘प्रकाशः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ- (उपसर्ग/निषेध) + प्रकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समासभाव (negated form)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• लोकालोकः: Loka-and-Aloka (the Lokāloka mountain)
• लोकालोकः: कर्ता (Karta; subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + अलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (copulative): ‘लोकः च अलोकः च’; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (समाहार/नामरूपेण)

• सः: that
• सः: कर्ता (Karta; subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic cosmography as taught in the Kurma Purana

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Lokāloka (mountain)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling the cosmic boundary an “ātma-maṇḍala” (sphere of the Self), the verse hints that the ordered cosmos is enclosed within a principled limit—suggesting an intelligible, law-like structure grounded in Self/inner reality rather than randomness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is named, but the imagery of “maryādā” (boundary) supports Yogic discipline: mastery arises through setting limits—restraining the senses and distinguishing illumination (prakāśa) from obscuration (aprakāśa), a foundational contemplative discrimination.

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

The verse is cosmographic rather than sectarian; its boundary-of-light teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where cosmic order (often expressed through Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms elsewhere) is one dharmic reality, not competing absolutes.