Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 11

Īśvara-gītā: Brahman as All-Pervading—Kāla, Prakṛti–Puruṣa, Tattva-Evolution, and Mokṣa

Devanagari script

पुरुषः प्रकृतिस्थो हि भुङ्क्तेयः प्राकृतान् गुणान् / अहङ्कारविमुक्तत्वात् प्रोच्यते पञ्चविंशकः

Transliteration

puruṣaḥ prakṛtistho hi bhuṅkteyaḥ prākṛtān guṇān / ahaṅkāravimuktatvāt procyate pañcaviṃśakaḥ

Translation

Puruṣa, tuy an trú trong Prakṛti, vẫn kinh nghiệm các guṇa phát sinh từ Prakṛti; nhưng vì không bị ràng buộc bởi ahaṅkāra (ngã chấp), nên được tuyên xưng là nguyên lý thứ hai mươi lăm.

Word by Word

• पुरुषः: Puruṣa / spirit
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular masculine

• प्रकृति-स्थः: situated in Prakṛti
• प्रकृति-स्थः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रकृतौ स्थितः)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• भुङ्क्ते: enjoys/experiences
• भुङ्क्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 3rd person singular present, आत्मनेपद

• इयः: (metrical particle)
• इयः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इय (अव्यय/पदपूरण)
• Form: पदपूरण-निपात (metrical filler; often with verbs)

• प्राकृतान्: material/natural
• प्राकृतान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; adjective qualifying गुणान्

• गुणान्: qualities (guṇas)
• गुणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; accusative plural masculine

• अहङ्कार-विमुक्तत्वात्: because of freedom from egoism
• अहङ्कार-विमुक्तत्वात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + विमुक्तत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अहङ्कारात् विमुक्तत्वम्)

• प्रोच्यते: is called/said
• प्रोच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), 3rd person singular

• पञ्च-विंशकः: the twenty-fifth (principle)
• पञ्च-विंशकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + विंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्चविंशतिः संख्या)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita stream (Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣa
• Prakṛti
• Guṇas
• Ahaṅkāra
• Twenty-five tattvas

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It defines the Self as Puruṣa: consciousness that may appear to ‘experience’ Prakṛti’s guṇas through association, yet in truth remains free from egoity (ahaṅkāra) and thus stands apart as the twenty-fifth tattva.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The implied practice is ahaṅkāra-kṣaya (dissolution of ego-sense): discerning Puruṣa from guṇa-driven experience, cultivating witness-consciousness, and detaching from identification with sattva-rajas-tamas—key to the Kurma Purana’s Yoga-oriented liberation teaching.

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

By presenting a shared Sankhya-Yoga framework (Puruṣa beyond ahaṅkāra and guṇas) within the Ishvara Gita milieu, it supports the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the liberating knowledge taught is one, whether framed through Shaiva (Pāśupata) or Vaishnava (Kūrma/Vishnu) voice.