Shloka 16

Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion

Devanagari script

आकाशे सगुणो वायुः प्रलयं याति विश्वभृत् / भूतादौ च तथाकाशं लीयते गुणसंयुतम्

Transliteration

ākāśe saguṇo vāyuḥ pralayaṃ yāti viśvabhṛt / bhūtādau ca tathākāśaṃ līyate guṇasaṃyutam

Translation

โอ้ผู้ทรงค้ำจุนสรรพโลก! ในกาลปรลัย วายุซึ่งยังมีคุณลักษณะย่อมรวมเข้าสู่อากาศ และในบ่อเกิดแห่งมหาภูตทั้งหลาย อากาศเองก็ถูกดูดกลับพร้อมคุณลักษณะเช่นกัน

Word by Word

• आकाशे: in/into space (ether)
• आकाशे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स-गुणः: possessing qualities
• स-गुणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘गुणैः सह’ विशेषणम् वायुः

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• प्रलयम्: dissolution
• प्रलयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विश्व-भृत्: the sustainer of the universe
• विश्व-भृत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भृ (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः/कृदन्तसमासः (विश्वं बिभर्तीति)

• भूत-आदौ: at the beginning of the elements
• भूत-आदौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आदौ)

• च: and
• च: Discourse connective (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: in that manner/likewise)

• आकाशम्: space (ether)
• आकाशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मरूपे (object)

• लीयते: dissolves/merges
• लीयते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ली (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; भाव/कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is dissolved/merges)

• गुण-संयुतम्: endowed with qualities
• गुण-संयुतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (सम्-युज् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘गुणैः संयुतम्’ विशेषणम् आकाशम्

Speaker

Narratorial teaching within the Purana’s cosmological exposition (Pralaya-krama), traditionally framed as revealed Purāṇic instruction

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishvabhrit (Sustainer of the universe)
• Akasha (Ether)
• Vayu (Air)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By showing that even subtle elements like air and space dissolve back into their source along with their qualities, the verse implies that the enduring reality is beyond guṇas and beyond elemental change—pointing to the Atman/Ishvara as the stable ground of all dissolution and re-creation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports a Yoga of dispassion (vairāgya) and tattva-vicāra: meditating on the re-absorption of elements helps loosen identification with body and world, aligning the mind toward the guṇa-transcending Lord taught across Kurma Purana’s devotional-yogic synthesis.

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

Though not naming them directly, the cosmology is presented in a theistic frame (“O Sustainer of the universe”), consistent with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony: the same supreme Lord who sustains also withdraws creation, a role shared in Purāṇic theology across Hari–Hara unity.