Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 39

Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta

Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman

Devanagari script

एष देवो महादेवः केवलः परमः शिवः / तदेवाक्षरमद्वैतं तदादित्यान्तरं परम्

Transliteration

eṣa devo mahādevaḥ kevalaḥ paramaḥ śivaḥ / tadevākṣaramadvaitaṃ tadādityāntaraṃ param

Translation

இவரே தேவன்—மகாதேவன், ஒரே பரம சிவன். இவரே அழிவிலி அத்வைதத் தத்துவம்; இவரே ஆதித்யனுள் விளங்கும் பரம உள்ளொளி.

Word by Word

• eṣaḥ: this (one)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• devaḥ: god
• devaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva
• mahādevaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); 'great' + 'god'

• kevalaḥ: alone, exclusive
• kevalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); adjective of devaḥ

• paramaḥ: supreme
• paramaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); adjective

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय); particle (निपात) of emphasis

• akṣaram: imperishable
• akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

• advaitam: non-dual
• advaitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dvaita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• āditya-antaram: the inner (reality) within the Sun
• āditya-antaram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āditya + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: 'inside/within the sun' (ādityasya antaram)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying āditya-antaram

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching the Ishvara-Gita in a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Mahadeva
• Shiva
• Aditya (Sun)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the Supreme as akṣara (imperishable) and advaita (non-dual), indicating one changeless Reality that is the highest Śiva beyond all division.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports contemplative Pāśupata-oriented meditation on the one non-dual Īśvara as the inner light (antar-jyotis), encouraging inward absorption rather than externalized plurality.

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

Within the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, the teaching voice (Kurma/Vishnu) proclaims the Supreme as Śiva alone—signaling a shared, non-dual Īśvara-tattva rather than sectarian separation.