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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya

Ananta–Kāla

Devanagari script

शैलं रसातलं विप्राः शार्करं हि तलातलम् / पीतं सुतलमित्युक्तं नितलं विद्रुमप्रभम् / सितं हि वितलं प्रोक्तं तलं चैव सितेतरम्

Transliteration

śailaṃ rasātalaṃ viprāḥ śārkaraṃ hi talātalam / pītaṃ sutalamityuktaṃ nitalaṃ vidrumaprabham / sitaṃ hi vitalaṃ proktaṃ talaṃ caiva sitetaram

Translation

Ó brāhmaṇas, diz-se que Rasātala é rochoso como uma montanha; Talātala é, de fato, pedregoso. Sutala é descrito como amarelo; Nitala resplandece com brilho de coral. Vitala é declarado branco, e Tala tem uma cor diferente do branco.

Word by Word
शैलम्(is) rocky/mountainous
शैलम्:
सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (Appositional predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootशैल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (predicate/apposition)
रसातलम्Rasātala (a netherworld)
रसातलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootरसातल (प्रातिपदिक); components: रस + अतल
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषसमास
विप्राःO brāhmaṇas
विप्राः:
सम्बोधन (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Vocative/Nominative plural; here संबोधन (address)
शार्करम्gravelly/stony
शार्करम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootशार्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective used predicatively (qualifies तलातलम्)
हिindeed
हि:
निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)
तलातलम्Talātala (a netherworld)
तलातलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootतलातल (प्रातिपदिक); components: तल + अतल
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषसमास
पीतम्yellow
पीतम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootपीत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from पा (धातु) → पीत, क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective ‘yellow’ used predicatively (qualifies सुतलम्)
सुतलम्Sutala
सुतलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootसुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular
इतिthus
इति:
वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरण (Quotation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)
उक्तम्is said/called
उक्तम्:
कर्मणि-क्रिया (Passive predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative ‘is said/called’
नितलम्Nitala
नितलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootनितल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (name of a region)
विद्रुमप्रभम्coral-hued / having coral-like radiance
विद्रुमप्रभम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootविद्रुम-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक); components: विद्रुम + प्रभ
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास; adjective qualifying नितलम्
सितम्white
सितम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective ‘white’ qualifying वितलम्
हिindeed
हि:
निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (indeed)
वितलम्Vitala
वितलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootवितल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular
प्रोक्तम्is declared
प्रोक्तम्:
कर्मणि-क्रिया (Passive predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative ‘is declared’
तलम्Tala
तलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootतल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (name)
चand
च:
समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)
एवindeed
एव:
अवधारण (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)
सितेतरम्non-white / other than white (darkish)
सितेतरम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसित-इतर (प्रातिपदिक); components: सित + इतर
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास; adjective qualifying तलम्
Speaker

Sūta (narrator) describing Purāṇic cosmic geography to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities
R
Rasātala
T
Talātala
S
Sutala
N
Nitala
V
Vitala
T
Tala

FAQs

This verse does not teach Ātman directly; it maps the differentiated cosmic realms (pātāla-lokas). In the Kurma Purāṇa’s broader vision, such layered geography functions as a backdrop showing the ordered manifestation (vyavasthā) within which the Self remains unbound and transcendent.

No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse. Indirectly, it supports dhyāna by providing a Purāṇic cosmographic schema often used for contemplative visualization of the cosmos before turning to higher disciplines such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion and inner restraint taught elsewhere in the text.

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it is cosmographic. In the Kurma Purāṇa’s synthesis, such cosmology is presented as part of a single sacred order upheld by the same supreme reality revered through both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms.

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