Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87

Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching

Iśvara-Gītā Prelude

Devanagari script

सर्वसङ्गान् परित्यज्य ज्ञात्वा मायामयं जगत् / अद्वैतं भावयात्मानं द्रक्ष्यसे परमेश्वरम्

Transliteration

sarvasaṅgān parityajya jñātvā māyāmayaṃ jagat / advaitaṃ bhāvayātmānaṃ drakṣyase parameśvaram

Translation

تمام وابستگیاں چھوڑ کر، اس جہان کو مایا سے بنا ہوا جان کر، اپنے آپ کو اَدویت (غیر دوئی) کے طور پر دھیان میں رکھو؛ تب تم پرمیشور کا دیدار کرو گے۔

Word by Word

• sarva-saṅgān: all attachments
• sarva-saṅgān: Karma (कर्म; object of ‘parityajya’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘all’ qualifying ‘attachments’)

• parityajya: having renounced
• parityajya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु) + ल्यप् (Kṛdanta)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• jñātvā: having known
• jñātvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु) + क्त्वा (Kṛdanta)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive), ‘having known’

• māyā-mayam: made of illusion
• māyā-mayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; qualifier of karma)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (मायया मयम्/मायायाः मयम् = ‘made of illusion’), agrees with ‘jagat’

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karma (कर्म; object of ‘jñātvā’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• advaitam: non-dual
• advaitam: Karma (कर्म; complement/object with ‘bhāvaya’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dvaita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; used predicatively with ‘ātmānam’

• bhāvaya: contemplate/meditate upon
• bhāvaya: Kriyā (क्रिया; main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → √bhāvay
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ātmānam: the Self
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म; object of ‘bhāvaya’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• drakṣyase: you will see
• drakṣyase: Kriyā (क्रिया; main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• parama-īśvaram: the Supreme Lord
• parama-īśvaram: Karma (कर्म; object of ‘drakṣyase’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (‘supreme’ qualifying ‘Lord’)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Parameshvara
• Atman
• Maya

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It teaches that the Ātman is to be realized as advaita (non-dual); by meditating on this non-dual Self, one directly realizes Parameśvara—indicating the inner identity of Self-realization and God-realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes vairāgya (renunciation of saṅga/attachments), viveka regarding māyā (discerning the world’s māyā-made nature), and bhāvanā/dhyāna (steady contemplation of the non-dual Ātman)—a jñāna-oriented meditative discipline aligned with the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita teachings.

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

By using the title Parameśvara while teaching non-dual realization, the verse supports the Purana’s synthesis: the supreme Lord is one reality, approached through inner Ātman-knowledge beyond sectarian difference (often expressed as Shiva–Vishnu unity in the Ishvara Gita milieu).