Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

एवं संहारकरणी शक्तिर्माहेश्वरी ध्रुवा / प्रधानाद्यं विशेषान्तं दहेद् रुद्र इति श्रुतिः

Transliteration

evaṃ saṃhārakaraṇī śaktirmāheśvarī dhruvā / pradhānādyaṃ viśeṣāntaṃ dahed rudra iti śrutiḥ

Translation

ดังนี้ ศักติแห่งมหेशวรีอันมั่นคง ผู้ทำหน้าที่สังหาระ ย่อมเผาผลาญสรรพตัตตวะตั้งแต่ประธานจนถึงวิศेषานต์; ศรุติประกาศว่า “รุทระเผาผลาญทั้งหมด”.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारे (adverb of manner: thus)

• संहारकरणी: causing dissolution
• संहारकरणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संहार+करणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (संहारं करोतीति)

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

• माहेश्वरी: belonging to Maheśvara
• माहेश्वरी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: माहेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (महेश्वर-सम्बन्धिनी)

• ध्रुवा: steady, fixed
• ध्रुवा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रधानाद्यम्: having Pradhāna as the beginning
• प्रधानाद्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रधान+आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रधानम् आदिः यस्य)

• विशेषान्तम्: ending in the particularized (viśeṣa)
• विशेषान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशेष+अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (विशेषः अन्तः यस्य)

• दहेत्: should burn/consume
• दहेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरणचिह्न (quotative)

• श्रुतिः: scriptural statement
• श्रुतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Maheshvari Shakti
• Maheśvara (Shiva)
• Rudra
• Pradhāna
• Viśeṣa

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By describing Rudra’s dissolving power as consuming even Pradhāna and all manifested particulars, the verse points to a reality beyond the whole field of prakṛti and its evolutes—implying the Self/Iśvara as transcendent to what is dissolved.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports a Pāśupata-oriented contemplation on impermanence: meditating that all tattvas—from primordial nature to specific forms—are subject to dissolution helps cultivate vairāgya (dispassion) and steadiness in seeking the imperishable Lord.

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

Within the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, Vishnu (as Kurma) can teach Rudra’s supreme dissolving function without contradiction—affirming a non-sectarian unity where cosmic roles differ while the highest divinity is harmonized.