Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 103

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

यो ऽसावनादिर्भूतादिः कालात्मासौ धृतो भवेत् / उपर्यधो भावयोगात् त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य तु धारणात्

Transliteration

yo 'sāvanādirbhūtādiḥ kālātmāsau dhṛto bhavet / uparyadho bhāvayogāt tripuṇḍrasya tu dhāraṇāt

Translation

تری پُنڈْر دھारण کرنے اور اوپر-نیچے بھاوَ یوگ کے دھیان سے، وہی رب مضبوطی سے تھام لیا جاتا ہے جو بےآغاز، مخلوقات کا آغاز اور کَال (وقت) کی ذات ہے۔

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: कर्ता (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — निर्देशार्थ सर्वनाम

• अनादिः: beginningless
• अनादिः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — असौ इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• भूत-आदिः: origin of beings
• भूत-आदिः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bhūtānām ādiḥ = origin of beings); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• काल-आत्मा: time-essenced (one)
• काल-आत्मा: कर्ता (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (kālasya ātmā = whose essence is time / time-souled); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: कर्ता (Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• धृतः: worn/held
• धृतः: विधेय (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृ (धातु) → धृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त/PPP); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — भवेत् इति क्रियायाः विधेयविशेषणम्

• भवेत्: would be/should become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• उपरि: above
• उपरि: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb/preposition: above)

• अधः: below
• अधः: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: below)

• भाव-योगात्: from the arrangement/connection (of the upper and lower)
• भाव-योगात्: अपादान (Ablative/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (bhāvasya yogaḥ = connection/arrangement of states); पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/पञ्चमी), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग — हेतौ (cause)

• त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य: of the tripuṇḍra
• त्रिपुण्ड्रस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिपुण्ड्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमास-प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: अव्यय (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• धारणात्: from wearing/holding
• धारणात्: अपादान (Ablative/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धारण (प्रातिपदिक; धृ-धातु से)
• Form: पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — हेतौ (cause)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (as the Supreme Teacher of the Ishvara Gita tradition)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kāla
• Tripuṇḍra
• Ishvara (Supreme Lord)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the Supreme Lord as beginningless and the source of all beings, and explicitly frames Him as Kāla-ātmā—Time itself as His essence—indicating a cosmic, all-pervading Ishvara rather than a limited deity-form.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It links an external Shaiva marker (Tripuṇḍra-dhāraṇā) with internal bhāva-yoga: sustained contemplative absorption oriented “upward and downward,” i.e., integrating transcendence (above) and immanence (below) while retaining Ishvara in focused awareness (dhāraṇā).

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

By presenting Tripuṇḍra (a Shaiva discipline) within the Ishvara-centered teaching of Lord Kūrma (a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa voice), it exemplifies the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: one Supreme Ishvara is realized through shared yogic and devotional disciplines across Shaiva-Vaishnava traditions.