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Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 1

The True Liṅga as Formless Brahman — Self-Luminous Īśa and the Yoga of Liberation

Devanagari script

इति श्रीकूर्मपाराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे (ईश्वरगीतासु) नवमो ऽध्यायः ईश्वर उवाच अलिङ्गमेकमव्यक्तं लिङ्गं ब्रह्मेति निश्चितम् / स्वयञ्ज्योतिः परं तत्त्वं परे व्योम्नि व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

iti śrīkūrmapārāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuparivibhāge (īśvaragītāsu) navamo 'dhyāyaḥ īśvara uvāca aliṅgamekamavyaktaṃ liṅgaṃ brahmeti niścitam / svayañjyotiḥ paraṃ tattvaṃ pare vyomni vyavasthitam

Translation

Sa Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa, sa sanghitā na may anim na libong taludtod, sa huling bahagi, sa loob ng Īśvara-gītā: (wakas) ng ikasiyam na kabanata. Wika ng Panginoon: “Ang Iisa, walang anyo at di-nahahayag—ito lamang ang tunay na ‘liṅga’; tiyak na nakikilalang Brahman. Sariling-liwanag, ito ang Kataas-taasang Katotohanan, na nakalagay sa pinakamataas na kalawakan (ng dalisay na kamalayan).”

Word by Word
itithus
iti:
Sambandha/Quotation marker (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), quotative/section marker
śrīkūrmapurāṇein the Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa
śrīkūrmapurāṇe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī + kūrma + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘in the Śrī-Kūrma-Purāṇa’
ṣaṭsāhastryāmin the six-thousand (collection)
ṣaṭsāhastryām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootṣaṭ + sāhasrī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu: ‘in the (collection) of six thousand (verses)’
saṃhitāyāmin the saṃhitā
saṃhitāyām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)
uparivibhāgein the upper section
uparivibhāge:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootupari + vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘in the upper division/section’
īśvaragītāsuin the Īśvara-gītās
īśvaragītāsu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootīśvara + gītā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘in the Īśvara-gītās’
navamaḥninth
navamaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootnavama (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with adhyāyaḥ
adhyāyaḥchapter
adhyāyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootadhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
īśvaraḥthe Lord
īśvaraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootīśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (धातु)
FormLiṭ-lakāra (लिट्, perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)
aliṅgamwithout mark/attribute
aliṅgam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roota- + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
ekamone
ekam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rooteka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)
avyaktamunmanifest
avyaktam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Roota- + vyakta (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)
liṅgammark/attribute
liṅgam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootliṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
brahmaBrahman
brahma:
Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य)
TypeNoun
Rootbrahman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)
itias/that
iti:
Sambandha/Quotation marker (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), quotative particle
niścitamascertained
niścitam:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootni-√ci (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicative: ‘is ascertained/decided’
svayañjyotiḥself-luminous light
svayañjyotiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsvayam + jyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: ‘self’ + ‘light’
paramsupreme
param:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; agrees with tattvam
tattvamprinciple/reality
tattvam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottattva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)
parein the supreme
pare:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with vyomni
vyomniin the sky/space
vyomni:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootvyoman (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)
vyavasthitamestablished/situated
vyavasthitam:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi-ava-√sthā (धातु)
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicative: ‘situated/established’
Speaker

Īśvara (Lord Kūrma/Vishnu speaking in the Īśvara-gītā)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities
Ī
Īśvara
B
Brahman
L
Liṅga (as the formless Absolute)
P
Paravyoma (highest expanse)

FAQs

It identifies the Supreme as one, formless, unmanifest, and self-luminous—Brahman itself—indicating that the highest Self is beyond external marks and is known as pure, limitless reality.

The verse frames meditation toward the nirliṅga (formless) Brahman—supporting inner contemplations used in Pāśupata-oriented discipline where the seeker transcends external symbols and rests awareness in the self-luminous Supreme.

By redefining “liṅga” as the formless Brahman (not merely a sectarian emblem), it presents a non-dual theological ground where Shaiva language and Vaishnava revelation converge in the single Supreme Reality.

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