Shloka 5

Narmadā-māhātmya: Amarakāṇṭaka, Jāleśvara, Kapilā–Viśalyakaraṇī, and the Supreme Purifying Power of Darśana

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेय उवाच नर्मदा सरितां श्रेष्ठा रुद्रदेहाद् विनिः सृता / तारयेत् सर्वभूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca narmadā saritāṃ śreṣṭhā rudradehād viniḥ sṛtā / tārayet sarvabhūtāni sthāvarāṇi carāṇi ca

Translation

มารกัณฑेयะกล่าวว่า “ในบรรดาสายน้ำทั้งหลาย นรมทาเป็นผู้ประเสริฐสุด นางหลั่งออกมาจากกายแห่งรุทระ นางยังสรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวง—ทั้งอยู่กับที่และเคลื่อนไหว—ให้ข้ามพ้นได้”

Word by Word

• मार्कण्डेयः: Mārkaṇḍeya
• मार्कण्डेयः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; of implied ‘अस्ति’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• सरिताम्: of rivers
• सरिताम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• श्रेष्ठा: best
• श्रेष्ठा: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘नर्मदा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रुद्रदेहात्: from Rudra’s body
• रुद्रदेहात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: रुद्रस्य देहः → तस्मात् (from Rudra's body)

• विनिःसृता: flowed forth/emerged
• विनिःसृता: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√सृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गयुक्त-भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (PPP/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘नर्मदा’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• तारयेत्: would ferry across/save
• तारयेत्: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु) (तारयति-णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative stem ‘तारय-’)

• सर्वभूतानि: all beings
• सर्वभूतानि: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारयः: सर्वाणि भूतानि

• स्थावराणि: immobile
• स्थावराणि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘भूतानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• चराणि: mobile
• चराणि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; ‘भूतानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

Speaker

Sage Mārkaṇḍeya

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Narmadā
• Rudra (Śiva)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it presents liberation (tāraṇa, “crossing over”) as possible through contact with a divinely sourced tīrtha, implying that grace and purification remove coverings over the Self rather than “creating” liberation anew.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse emphasizes tīrtha-sevā—pilgrimage, reverent bathing, and purification—as supportive disciplines that prepare the practitioner for higher Yoga (such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion and contemplation found elsewhere in the Kurma Purana).

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

By grounding salvific power in a Śaiva source (Rudra’s body) within a Purāṇic text that also teaches Vaiṣṇava theology, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: liberation is upheld through shared divine agency rather than sectarian opposition.