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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 39

Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction

करोति कालः सकलं संहरेत् काल एव हि / कालः स्थापयते विश्वं कालाधीनमिदं जगत्

karoti kālaḥ sakalaṃ saṃharet kāla eva hi / kālaḥ sthāpayate viśvaṃ kālādhīnamidaṃ jagat

کال ہی سب کچھ کرتا ہے اور بے شک کال ہی سب کا سنہار کرتا ہے؛ کال ہی کائنات کو قائم کرتا ہے، یہ سارا جگت کال کے تابع ہے۔

karotidoes, makes
karoti:
Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (धातु)
FormLaṭ-lakāra (Present/लट्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (singular/एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)
kālaḥTime
kālaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
sakalamall, entire
sakalam:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeAdjective
Rootsakala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of implied object ‘sarvam’
saṃharetwould withdraw; withdraws/destroys
saṃharet:
Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
TypeVerb
Rootsaṃ-√hṛ (धातु)
FormLiṅ-lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada; used in sense of general truth ‘(he) withdraws/destroys’
kālaḥTime
kālaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
evaalone, indeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
FormAvadhāraṇa-nipāta (emphasis)
hifor, indeed
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/explanation)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormHetu-nipāta (causal/explanatory particle/हेतु)
kālaḥTime
kālaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
sthāpayateestablishes, sets up
sthāpayate:
Kriyā (क्रिया/verb)
TypeVerb
Root√sthā (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्) causative
FormLaṭ-lakāra (Present), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada; Causative (णिच्) of √sthā: ‘causes to stand/establishes’
viśvamthe universe
viśvam:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana
kāla-adhīnamdependent on time
kāla-adhīnam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक) + adhīna (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: kālasya adhīnam), Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Accusative, Ekavacana; predicate adjective of jagat
idamthis
idam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā, Ekavacana; demonstrative qualifier of jagat
jagatworld
jagat:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject; of implied ‘asti’)
TypeNoun
Rootjagat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching within the Ishvara Gita discourse

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

K
Kāla (Time)
J
Jagat (World)
V
Viśva (Universe)
Ī
Īśvara (implied Lord as controller through Kāla)

FAQs

By presenting Kāla as the universal power that creates, sustains, and dissolves the cosmos, the verse points to a governing Īśvara beyond individual agency; the Atman is to be known as distinct from the time-bound flux of the jagat, even while Īśvara’s order operates through Kāla.

The verse supports vairāgya and viveka central to Pāśupata-oriented discipline: meditate on the impermanence and time-governed nature of all phenomena, reducing attachment and stabilizing the mind for Īśvara-dhyāna (contemplation of the Lord) taught in the Ishvara Gita context.

In the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, the single divine sovereignty (Īśvara) manifests governance through Kāla; this aligns with both Shaiva and Vaishnava idioms—Shiva as Mahākāla and Vishnu as cosmic sustainer—indicating one supreme order rather than sectarian separation.