Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

Cosmic Night, Nārāyaṇa as Brahmā, and the Varāha Raising of the Earth

Devanagari script

नमस्ते पञ्चबूताय पञ्चभूतात्मने नमः / नमो मूलप्रकृतये मायारूपाय ते नमः

Transliteration

namaste pañcabūtāya pañcabhūtātmane namaḥ / namo mūlaprakṛtaye māyārūpāya te namaḥ

Translation

Kính lễ Ngài là năm đại (địa, thủy, hỏa, phong, không); kính lễ Ngài là Chân Ngã nội tại của năm đại. Kính lễ Ngài là Mūla-Prakṛti, Căn Tánh nguyên sơ; kính lễ Ngài, Đấng mang hình tướng là Māyā.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नमस्कारार्थे

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (also used as genitive in some contexts); here dative with namaḥ

• pañcabūtāya: to the five elements (as a whole)
• pañcabūtāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (pañca bhūtāni)

• pañcabhūtātmane: to the one whose self is the five elements
• pañcabhūtātmane: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + bhūta + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pañcabhūtānām ātmā)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; namo = namaḥ before voiced sound

• mūlaprakṛtaye: to the root-nature (primordial prakṛti)
• mūlaprakṛtaye: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūla + prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (mūlā prakṛtiḥ / prakṛter mūlam)

• māyārūpāya: to the one whose form is māyā
• māyārūpāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (māyāyāḥ rūpam)

• te: to you
• te: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

A devotee/sage offering a stuti (hymn) within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga narration (addressed to the Supreme Lord identified with both cosmic elements and their inner controller).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Pañca-bhūta (five elements)
• Mūla-Prakṛti
• Māyā

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as both the manifest cosmos (the five elements) and the indwelling essence that pervades and governs them—implying the Lord as immanent (within all) and transcendent (the source).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports elemental and inner-controller contemplation: meditate on the pañca-bhūtas as divine manifestations while turning inward to their ātmā (inner witness), a method aligned with Purāṇic Yoga and Pāśupata-oriented devotion to the Lord as the cosmic principle.

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

By addressing the Supreme as Mūla-Prakṛti and Māyā—the universal ground and power behind creation—it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology where the one Ishvara can be praised through Shaiva or Vaishnava language without contradiction.