Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 81

Viṣṇu at Upamanyu’s Āśrama: Pāśupata Tapas, Darśana of Śiva, and Boons from Devī

Devanagari script

त्वं हि सा परमा मूर्तिर्मम नारायणाह्वया / नानवाप्तं त्वया तात विद्यते पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

tvaṃ hi sā paramā mūrtirmama nārāyaṇāhvayā / nānavāptaṃ tvayā tāta vidyate puruṣottama

Translation

تم ہی میری برتر صورت ہو جو ‘نارائن’ کے نام سے معروف ہے۔ اے عزیز، اے پُروشوتم! تمہارے لیے کوئی شے بھی غیر حاصل شدہ نہیں۔

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle)

• सा: that
• सा: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Pronoun, nominative singular)

• परमा: supreme
• परमा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; मूर्तिः इति विशेषण

• मूर्तिः: form; embodiment
• मूर्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• मम: of me; my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular)

• नारायणाह्वया: named Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणाह्वया: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nārāyaṇa-āhvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: नारायण इति आह्वयः/नाम यस्याः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; मूर्तिः इति विशेषण (called Nārāyaṇa)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अनवाप्तम्: unattained; not obtained
• अनवाप्तम्: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-avāpta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्ग: अन् + अवाप्त (not obtained); विद्यते इति क्रियायाः विशेष्य (as predicate)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• तात: O dear one; O father
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Vocative); स्नेहसम्बोधन

• विद्यते: exists
• विद्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; अस्त्यर्थे (exists)

• पुरुषोत्तम: O best of persons
• पुरुषोत्तम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa-uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: उत्तमः पुरुषः; पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (Vocative)

Speaker

A devotee/sage addressing the Supreme Lord as Nārāyaṇa (within the Purva-bhaga’s devotional-philosophical dialogue setting)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Narayana
• Purushottama

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as Puruṣottama/Nārāyaṇa—the complete, unsurpassed reality—implying fullness (pūrṇatā): nothing remains to be attained for the Supreme, who is the source of all attainments.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds īśvara-paratā (God-centered orientation): meditation and yoga culminate in recognizing the Lord as the supreme manifest form and resting the mind in His completeness—an attitude aligned with Kurma Purana’s integrated bhakti-yoga and disciplined sādhana.

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

By emphasizing a single Supreme (Īśvara) as the all-complete Puruṣottama, it supports the Purana’s broader non-sectarian synthesis: different divine names/forms (including Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava) point to one highest reality.