Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

Manvantaras, Indras, Saptarṣis, and the Seven Sustaining Manifestations; Vyāsa as Nārāyaṇa

Devanagari script

अमिताभा भूतरया वैकुण्ठाः स्वच्छमेधसः / एते देवगणास्तत्र चतुर्दश चतुर्दश

Transliteration

amitābhā bhūtarayā vaikuṇṭhāḥ svacchamedhasaḥ / ete devagaṇāstatra caturdaśa caturdaśa

Translation

Doon (sa Vaikuṇṭha) naroon ang mga pangkat ng mga deva na tinatawag na Amitābhā, Bhūtarayā, at Vaikuṇṭha—malinaw at dalisay ang pag-iisip. Bawat orden ay binibilang na tig-labing-apat at tig-labing-apat.

Word by Word

• amitābhāḥ: of immeasurable splendor
• amitābhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: amita (प्रातिपदिक) + ābhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः (amitā ābhā yasya/yeṣām)

• bhūta-rayāḥ: swift as beings (very swift)
• bhūta-rayāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + raya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bhūtānāṃ rayaḥ/vegah)

• vaikuṇṭhāḥ: Vaikuṇṭhas (a class of gods)
• vaikuṇṭhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaikuṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• svaccha-medhasaḥ: of clear intellect
• svaccha-medhasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svaccha (प्रातिपदिक) + medhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); कर्मधारयः (svacchā medhā yeṣām)

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• deva-gaṇāḥ: groups of gods
• deva-gaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (devānāṃ gaṇāḥ)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• caturdaśa: fourteen
• caturdaśa: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; ‘चतुर्दश’ = 14

• caturdaśa: fourteen (and fourteen)
• caturdaśa: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśa (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), पुनरुक्ति (repetition)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic discourse tradition, attributed to Vyāsa’s narration through the Sūta to the sages)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vaikuṇṭha
• Amitābhāḥ
• Bhūtarayāḥ
• Vaikuṇṭhāḥ
• Devagaṇāḥ

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: by describing Vaikuṇṭha’s pure-intellect divine orders, it implies a realm oriented to sattva and clarity, supporting the Purāṇic view that proximity to the Supreme (Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa) is marked by purified buddhi and luminous awareness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is taught in this verse; it emphasizes the fruit of purification—svaccha-medhas (clear intelligence)—which aligns with Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-dharma theme that disciplined conduct, devotion, and contemplation refine the mind toward divine proximity.

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

The verse is explicitly Vaiṣṇava (Vaikuṇṭha and Viṣṇu’s hosts), yet within the Kurma Purana’s synthesis it complements the shared ideal found in both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava teachings: inner purity and clarity of intellect as the hallmark of nearness to Īśvara.