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Shloka 34

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

तासु क्षीणास्वशेषासु कालयोगेन ताः पुनः / वार्तोपायं पुनश्चक्रुर्हस्तसिद्धिं च कर्मजाम् / ततस्तासां विभुर्ब्रह्मा कर्माजीवमकल्पयत्

tāsu kṣīṇāsvaśeṣāsu kālayogena tāḥ punaḥ / vārtopāyaṃ punaścakrurhastasiddhiṃ ca karmajām / tatastāsāṃ vibhurbrahmā karmājīvamakalpayat

तासु क्षीणास्वशेषासु कालयोगेन ताः पुनः। वार्तोपायं पुनश्चक्रुर्हस्तसिद्धिं च कर्मजाम्॥ ततस्तासां विभुर्ब्रह्मा कर्माजीवमकल्पयत्॥

tāsuamong/in those (siddhis)
tāsu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative/7, Plural
kṣīṇāsuwhen (they) had diminished
kṣīṇāsu:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṣīṇa (कृदन्त, √kṣi)
FormFeminine, Locative/7, Plural; past participle (क्त) used adjectivally
aśeṣāsuentirely/without remainder
aśeṣāsu:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootaśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Locative/7, Plural
kāla-yogenaby the conjunction of time
kāla-yogena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘कालस्य योगः’
tāḥthey
tāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Nominative/1, Plural
punaḥagain
punaḥ:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunaḥ (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय)
vārta-upāyammeans of livelihood (vārttā)
vārta-upāyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvārta (प्रातिपदिक) + upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘वार्तायाः उपायः’ (means of livelihood/commerce)
punaḥagain
punaḥ:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpunaḥ (अव्यय)
FormAdverb
cakruḥthey made/undertook
cakruḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (धातु)
FormLiṭ (लिट्, perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural
hasta-siddhimskill of the hand; craftsmanship
hasta-siddhim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roothasta (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative/2, Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘हस्तस्य सिद्धिः’ (manual skill)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction
karma-jāmarising from work
karma-jām:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootkarma (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative/2, Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘कर्मणः जा’ (born of work) agreeing with siddhim
tataḥthen
tataḥ:
Anvaya (अन्वय)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottataḥ (अव्यय)
FormAdverb
tāsāmfor them/of them
tāsām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Genitive/6, Plural
vibhuḥmighty/sovereign
vibhuḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative/1, Singular
brahmāBrahmā
brahmā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative/1, Singular
karma-ājīvamlivelihood through work
karma-ājīvam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkarma (प्रातिपदिक) + ājīva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative/2, Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘कर्मणा आजीवः’ (livelihood by work)
akalpayatordained/established
akalpayat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√kḷp (धातु)
FormLuṅ (लुङ्, aorist causative-like sense in context), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; ‘he arranged/ordained’

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic account of early social order under Brahmā

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

B
Brahmā
K
Kāla (Time)
K
Karma
V
Vārttā (commerce/economy)

FAQs

Indirectly: it frames embodied life as governed by Kāla (Time) and Karma (action), implying that spiritual realization requires seeing the Self as distinct from changing economic conditions and work-based identity.

No explicit meditation is taught in this verse; it supports the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-ethic that disciplined karma (right livelihood and duty) stabilizes society and becomes a foundation for higher practices like Pāśupata-oriented restraint, purity, and contemplation taught elsewhere.

This verse is administrative/cosmic rather than sectarian: Brahmā institutes karmic livelihood under the law of Time and action—principles that the Kurma Purana later integrates within a unified Shaiva–Vaishnava framework where dharma and yoga culminate in the one Supreme.