Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 19

Iśvara on Māyā, the Unmanifest, and the Viśvarūpa of the One Supreme

Devanagari script

सर्वाननशिरोग्रीवः सर्वभूतगुहाशयः / सर्वव्यापी च भगवान् न तस्मादन्यदिष्यते

Transliteration

sarvānanaśirogrīvaḥ sarvabhūtaguhāśayaḥ / sarvavyāpī ca bhagavān na tasmādanyadiṣyate

Translation

ଭଗବାନଙ୍କର ସମସ୍ତ ମୁଖ, ସମସ୍ତ ଶିର, ସମସ୍ତ ଗ୍ରୀବା; ସେ ସମସ୍ତ ଭୂତର ଗୁହାସ୍ଥ ହୃଦୟରେ ଅଧିଷ୍ଠିତ। ସେ ସର୍ବବ୍ୟାପୀ ଭଗବାନ—ତାଙ୍କଠାରୁ ଭିନ୍ନ କିଛି ମାନ୍ୟ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• sarvānanaśirogrīvaḥ: having all faces, heads, and necks
• sarvānanaśirogrīvaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + ānana + śiras + grīvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); bahuvrīhi: ‘he whose faces, heads, and necks are all (i.e., everywhere/all)’

• sarvabhūtaguhāśayaḥ: dwelling in the heart-cave of all beings
• sarvabhūtaguhāśayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + bhūta + guhā + āśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); bahuvrīhi: ‘he whose abode is the cave (heart) of all beings’

• sarvavyāpī: all-pervading
• sarvavyāpī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + vyāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• tasmāt: from him/than that
• tasmāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• anyat: anything else
• anyat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• iṣyate: is accepted/considered
• iṣyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्, present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive-like sense ‘is considered/accepted’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna in the Ishvara Gita portion of the Kurma Purana

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Bhagavan
• Paramatman
• Sarvavyapin (all-pervading Lord)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as the inner indweller (guhāśaya/antaryāmin) of all beings and as all-pervading, implying that no separate ultimate reality exists apart from that one Lord.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports inward contemplation: meditation on the Lord as present in the heart-cave of every being and as universally pervading—an orientation that undergirds Ishvara-dhyana and the Kurma Purana’s Pashupata-tinged discipline of fixing the mind on the one Ishvara everywhere.

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

By asserting a single all-pervading Bhagavan beyond any “other,” it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology where sectarian difference is subordinated to one supreme Ishvara, allowing Shaiva-Vaishnava unity in the highest view.