Shloka 48

Naimittika-pralaya and the Theology of Kāla: Seven Suns, Saṃvartaka Fire, Flood, and Varāha Kalpa

Devanagari script

असंख्यातास्तथा कल्पा ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मकाः / कथिता हि पुराणेषु मुनिभिः कालचिन्तकैः

Transliteration

asaṃkhyātāstathā kalpā brahmaviṣṇuśivātmakāḥ / kathitā hi purāṇeṣu munibhiḥ kālacintakaiḥ

Translation

กัลป์ทั้งหลายมีนับไม่ถ้วน โดยมีสภาวะแห่งพรหมา วิษณุ และศิวะ บรรดามุนีผู้พิจารณากาลได้กล่าวไว้แล้วในปุราณะ

Word by Word

• असंख्याताः: countless
• असंख्याताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of कल्पाः)

• तथा: also / likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• कल्पाः: kalpas
• कल्पाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मकाः: having the nature of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva
• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवात्मकाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + शिव + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of कल्पाः)

• कथिताः: have been described
• कथिताः: Kriya (क्रिया-भाव/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle, emphasis/indeed)

• पुराणेषु: in the Purāṇas
• पुराणेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• मुनिभिः: by sages
• मुनिभिः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/कर्ता-हेतु), बहुवचन

• कालचिन्तकैः: time-contemplating / chronologists
• कालचिन्तकैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + चिन्तक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of मुनिभिः)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) speaking as the cosmic teacher within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Shiva
• Kalpa
• Kala (Time)
• Munis
• Puranas

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By presenting kalpa-cycles as “Brahmā–Viṣṇu–Śiva-ātmakāḥ,” the verse points to a single overarching reality expressing itself through creation, preservation, and dissolution—suggesting a unified divine ground behind the many cosmic phases.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights kāla-cintā—contemplation of Time—as a contemplative discipline: reflecting on vast cycles of manifestation to cultivate detachment, discernment (viveka), and steadiness of mind, themes aligned with Purāṇic Yoga and the Kurma Purana’s integrative spiritual outlook.

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

It frames Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva as one cosmic continuum within the same kalpa-process, reinforcing the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where Śiva and Viṣṇu function as inseparable aspects of the one divine order.