Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59

Madhu–Kaiṭabha, Nārāyaṇa’s Yoga-Nidrā, Rudra’s Manifestation, and the Aṣṭamūrti–Trimūrti Teaching

Devanagari script

हव्यं वहति यो नित्यं रौद्री तेजोमयो तनुः / कव्यं पितृगणानां च तस्मै वह्न्यात्मने नमः

Transliteration

havyaṃ vahati yo nityaṃ raudrī tejomayo tanuḥ / kavyaṃ pitṛgaṇānāṃ ca tasmai vahnyātmane namaḥ

Translation

Kính lễ Đấng mà Tự Ngã chính là Lửa (Agni): bậc hằng mang lễ vật havya đến chư thiên, thân là ánh rực của năng lực bừng cháy của Rudra, và cũng chuyển lễ kavya đến các hội chúng Pitṛ (Tổ linh).

Word by Word

• havyam: oblatory offering (to gods)
• havyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• vahati: carries
• vahati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vah (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd person singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (relative pronoun)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण); Indeclinable adverb

• raudrī: fierce, Rudra-like
• raudrī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular (qualifying तनुः understood as ‘form/power’)

• tejomayaḥ: consisting of radiance
• tejomayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tejas + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘made of tejas (splendour)’

• tanuḥ: body/form
• tanuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• kavyam: funerary offering (to ancestors)
• kavyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• pitṛgaṇānām: of the hosts of ancestors
• pitṛgaṇānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Plural; ‘of the groups of Pitṛs’

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक); Indeclinable conjunction

• tasmai: to him
• tasmai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Dative, Singular

• vahni-ātmane: to the fire-ensouled (Agni)
• vahni-ātmane: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Dative, Singular; ‘to the one whose self is Fire’

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Prayojana (सम्बोधन/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमस्कारार्थक); Indeclinable used in salutation, governs dative

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita section

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Vahni)
• Rudra
• Pitrs (ancestors)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the Lord’s presence as the inner essence of Agni—showing the Supreme as immanent power that mediates between worlds by sustaining sacrifice, worship, and cosmic exchange.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports Ishvara-centric contemplation (īśvara-smṛti) through the symbol of Agni: meditating on the Lord as the luminous carrier of offerings aligns ritual discipline with inner purification—a key bridge between Pashupata devotion and yogic concentration.

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

By describing the divine Fire-form as “raudrī” (Rudra’s energy) while offered salutations within the Ishvara Gita teaching of Lord Kurma, it presents Rudra-tejas and Vishnu’s lordship as a single integrated reality.