Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 79

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

Devanagari script

तथान्यानि च रूपाणि मम मायाकृतानि तु / निरूपः केवलः स्वच्छो महादेवः स्वभावतः

Transliteration

tathānyāni ca rūpāṇi mama māyākṛtāni tu / nirūpaḥ kevalaḥ svaccho mahādevaḥ svabhāvataḥ

Translation

ฉันใด รูปอื่นทั้งหลายก็เป็นสิ่งที่มายาของเราปรุงแต่ง; แต่พระมหาเทวะโดยสภาวะเป็นผู้ไร้รูป เป็นหนึ่งเดียว และบริสุทธิ์นิรันดร์।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connecting adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb)

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Pl)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/समुच्चयबोधक)

• रूपाणि: forms
• रूपाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Pl)

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Sg)

• माया-कृतानि: made by (my) māyā
• माया-कृतानि: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛ (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (करण/हेतु-सम्बन्धः: ‘मायया कृतानि’); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Pl)

• तु: indeed, however
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/emphasis-contrast)

• निरूपः: formless
• निरूपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Sg)

• केवलः: alone, pure
• केवलः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Sg)

• स्वच्छः: clear, spotless
• स्वच्छः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaccha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Sg)

• महादेवः: Mahādeva (the Great God)
• महादेवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘महान् देवः’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nom, Sg)

• स्वभावतः: by nature, inherently
• स्वभावतः: Hetu (हेतु/ कारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svabhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘-तः’)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Mahadeva
• Maya
• Shiva
• Kurma (implicit speaker)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It distinguishes between appearances produced by māyā and the essential reality: Mahādeva is intrinsically formless (nirūpa), non-dual/absolute (kevala), and untouched purity (svaccha), aligning the Supreme with a nirguṇa understanding beyond changing forms.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports nirguṇa-upāsanā within the Kurma Purana’s Pāśupata-oriented teaching: meditation that withdraws attention from māyā-made forms and contemplates the formless, pure Lord as the inner reality—an aid to steadiness (dhāraṇā) and absorption (dhyāna/samādhi).

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

With Lord Kūrma as speaker affirming Mahādeva’s transcendence, it reflects the Purāṇa’s non-sectarian synthesis: Śiva’s highest nature is presented as the supreme, formless reality, taught through a Vaiṣṇava voice, emphasizing unity at the level of nirguṇa truth.