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Shloka 4

Brahmā’s Lotus-Birth, the Sealing of the Cosmic Womb, and the Epiphany of Parameśvara

Hari–Hara Samanvaya

कथं च भगवाञ्जज्ञे ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः / अण्डजो जगतामीशस्तन्नो वक्तुमिहार्हसि

kathaṃ ca bhagavāñjajñe brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ / aṇḍajo jagatāmīśastanno vaktumihārhasi

कथं च भगवाञ्जज्ञे ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः। अण्डजो जगतामीशस्तन्नो वक्तुमिहार्हसि॥

kathamhow
katham:
Prakāra (प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
bhagavānthe Blessed (one)
bhagavān:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/title)
TypeNoun
Rootbhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन
jajñewas born/arose
jajñe:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjan (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (Perfect/लिट्); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
brahmāBrahmā
brahmā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन
loka-pitāmahaḥgrandsire of the worlds
loka-pitāmahaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/apposition)
TypeNoun
Rootloka + pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (loka-pitāmaha = grandsire of the worlds)
aṇḍajaḥegg-born
aṇḍajaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootaṇḍa + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (aṇḍaja = egg-born)
jagatāmof the worlds
jagatām:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootjagat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचन
īśaḥlord
īśaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/apposition)
TypeNoun
Rootīśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन
tatthat
tat:
Karma (कर्म/object)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; सर्वनाम
naḥto us/our
naḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी) बहुवचन-प्रयोगः; एन्क्लिटिक रूप (enclitic)
vaktumto tell
vaktum:
Prayojana (प्रयोजन/purpose)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formतुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive/तुमुन्); ‘to tell’
ihahere
iha:
Deśa (देश)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiha (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)
arhasiyou ought/are able
arhasi:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootarh (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Sages (addressing the narrator/teacher in the Kurma Purana dialogue)

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

B
Brahmā
H
Hiraṇyagarbha (cosmic egg concept)

FAQs

Indirectly: by asking for Brahmā’s origin, the verse points to a higher causal principle beyond the created lord (Brahmā)—the ultimate source that later Purāṇic teaching identifies with the supreme Īśvara who grounds both creation and liberation.

No practice is stated explicitly; the verse functions as a cosmological inquiry that supports later Kurma Purana instruction—where understanding the origin of the cosmos becomes part of right knowledge (jñāna) that steadies devotion and yogic discipline.

The verse itself names Brahmā and the cosmic egg, but its inquiry fits the Kurma Purana’s integrative approach: creation is traced to a supreme Īśvara, allowing later exposition to harmonize Shaiva and Vaishnava theologies under one ultimate source.