Shloka 23

Īśvara-gītā: Bhakti as the Supreme Means; the Three Śaktis; Non-compelled Lordship

Devanagari script

तृतीया महती शक्तिर्निहन्ति सकलं जगत् / तामसी मे समाख्याता कालाख्या रुद्ररूपिणी

Transliteration

tṛtīyā mahatī śaktirnihanti sakalaṃ jagat / tāmasī me samākhyātā kālākhyā rudrarūpiṇī

Translation

ศักติประการที่สามอันยิ่งใหญ่ทำลายสรรพจักรวาลให้ล่วงไป นางถูกประกาศว่าเป็นศักติฝ่ายตมัสของเรา มีนามว่า ‘กาล’ และทรงรูปเป็นรุทระ

Word by Word

• तृतीया: the third
• तृतीया: Karta (कर्ता/qualifier of śaktiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (तृतीय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महती: great
• महती: Karta (कर्ता/qualifier of śaktiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (महत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शक्तिः: power
• शक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (शक्ति-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निहन्ति: destroys
• निहन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु √हन् with नि-)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (सकल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन (qualifying jagat)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (जगत्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तामसी: tamasic (of darkness)
• तामसी: Karta (कर्ता/qualifier of śaktiḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामसी (तामसी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मे: my / to me
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (of/to me)

• समाख्याता: is called
• समाख्याता: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-ख्या (धातु √ख्या with सम्-आ-; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle): ‘called/declared’

• काल-आख्या: named Kāla (Time)
• काल-आख्या: Karta (कर्ता/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल (काल-प्रातिपदिक) + आख्या (आख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (named ‘Kāla’)

• रुद्र-रूपिणी: having Rudra’s form
• रुद्र-रूपिणी: Karta (कर्ता/qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्र (रुद्र-प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिणी (रूपिन्-प्रातिपदिक, स्त्री)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (having the form of Rudra)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages (Purāṇic discourse context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)
• Rudra
• Shakti

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By presenting Kāla-Rudra as the power of dissolution, the verse implies that cosmic change (creation–maintenance–dissolution) operates through Shakti, while the Supreme Self remains the witnessing ground beyond the guṇas, with divine forms (like Rudra) functioning as its cosmic agencies.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse supports a contemplative discipline central to Purāṇic Yoga: meditating on impermanence and Kāla (Time) to cultivate vairāgya (dispassion). In the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava framework, such reflection steadies the mind for devotion and inner withdrawal, aligning practice toward liberation beyond tamas and the changing world.

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

With Vishnu (as Kurma) describing the tamasic dissolving Shakti as Rudra-formed, the text models functional unity: Vishnu teaches that Rudra is a divine mode through which cosmic dissolution occurs, reinforcing the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis of Shiva and Vishnu.