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Shloka 17

Madhu–Kaiṭabha, Nārāyaṇa’s Yoga-Nidrā, Rudra’s Manifestation, and the Aṣṭamūrti–Trimūrti Teaching

विष्णुरुवाच कच्चिन्न विस्मृतो देवः शूलपाणिः सनातनः / यदुक्तवानात्मनो ऽसौ पुत्रत्वे तव शङ्करः

viṣṇuruvāca kaccinna vismṛto devaḥ śūlapāṇiḥ sanātanaḥ / yaduktavānātmano 'sau putratve tava śaṅkaraḥ

విష్ణువు పలికెను—సనాతనుడైన శూలపాణి దేవుని నీవు మరచితివా? తన స్వాత్మస్వరూపమునే ఆధారంగా ‘నేను నీకు పుత్రుడను’ అని చెప్పిన శంకరుడే అతడు.

viṣṇuḥViṣṇu
viṣṇuḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootviṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद) of √वच् (to speak)
kaccitis it the case that...?
kaccit:
Praśna (प्रश्न)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkaccit (अव्यय)
FormInterrogative particle (प्रश्न-निपात): used to ask ‘whether?/surely?’
nanot
na:
Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
FormNegation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)
vismṛtaḥforgotten
vismṛtaḥ:
Karta-anvayi Viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृ-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvismṛta (कृदन्त; vi√smṛ)
FormPast passive participle (क्त) of वि√स्मृ (to forget); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
devaḥthe god
devaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
śūla-pāṇiḥthe trident-handed (Śiva)
śūla-pāṇiḥ:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśūla (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormBahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि: ‘one whose hand has a trident’); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
sanātanaḥeternal
sanātanaḥ:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
yatthat which
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormRelative pronoun (सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)
uktavānhaving said / who said
uktavān:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootuktavat (कृदन्त; √vac)
FormPast active participle (क्तवत्) of √वच् (to say); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
ātmanaḥof himself / his
ātmanaḥ:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootātman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)
asauthat (he)
asau:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootadas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormDemonstrative pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
putratvein the state of sonship
putratve:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootputratva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)
tavaof you / your
tava:
Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottvad (प्रातिपदिक)
Form2nd person pronoun (युष्मद्), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)
śaṅkaraḥŚaṅkara (Śiva)
śaṅkaraḥ:
Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानााधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

Viṣṇu (as narrator/speaker in the Kurma Purana dialogue tradition)

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

V
Vishnu
S
Shulapani (Shiva)
S
Shankara

FAQs

By saying Śaṅkara spoke “regarding his own Self” (ātmanaḥ), the verse frames divine identity in terms of inner reality, hinting that apparent roles (like sonship) can be expressed without denying the deeper, transcendent Self.

No specific practice is prescribed in this line; its contribution is doctrinal—supporting a contemplative view where sectarian difference is softened, which in the Kurma Purana undergirds later Yoga-shāstra teachings (including Pāśupata-oriented devotion and discipline).

It presents a deliberate concord: Viṣṇu recalls Śiva (Śūlapāṇi, Śaṅkara) as eternal and recounts a statement of relational unity (even “sonship”), emphasizing theological harmony rather than rivalry.