Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 4

Rudra’s Cosmic Dance and the Recognition of Rudra–Nārāyaṇa Unity (Īśvara-gītā Continuation)

Devanagari script

यस्य मायामयं सर्वं येनेदं प्रेर्यते जगत् / नृत्यमानः स्वयं विप्रैर्विश्वेशः खलु दृश्यते

Transliteration

yasya māyāmayaṃ sarvaṃ yenedaṃ preryate jagat / nṛtyamānaḥ svayaṃ viprairviśveśaḥ khalu dṛśyate

Translation

Đấng mà toàn thể vũ trụ này chỉ là hình thái của Māyā, và bởi Ngài mà thế gian được thúc đẩy vận hành—chính Viśveśvara, Chúa tể của muôn cõi, được các hiền giả Bà-la-môn thấy rõ là tự thân đang múa.

Word by Word

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• māyā-mayam: made of illusion
• māyā-mayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (to sarvam)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता (of implicit ‘is’)

• yena: by whom
• yena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण/हेतु (instrumental/means)

• idam: this
• idam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता (of preryate)

• preryate: is impelled/driven
• preryate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + īr (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• jagat: the world
• jagat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता (apposition to idam)

• nṛtyamānaḥ: dancing
• nṛtyamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nṛt (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्यय वर्तमान कृदन्त (present middle participle), पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वयम्-शब्दः (reflexive adverb)

• vipraiḥ: by the brāhmaṇas/sages
• vipraiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/कर्मणि-कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तृ (agent) in passive with dṛśyate

• viśva-īśaḥ: Lord of the universe
• viśva-īśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता (of dṛśyate)

• khalu: indeed
• khalu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khalu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• dṛśyate: is seen
• dṛśyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration describing the sages’ vision of Viśveśvara)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Māyā
• Jagat
• Vipras
• Viśveśa (Viśveśvara)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as Iśvara who, through Māyā, appears as the entire world and yet remains the conscious governor that impels the jagat—transcendent, but immanent in all motion and manifestation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports īśvara-smṛti and īśvara-dhyāna: contemplation of the Lord as the inner mover (antaryāmin) behind all activity, a key orientation in Pāśupata-influenced devotion and meditation where the practitioner sees all phenomena as Māyā under divine governance.

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

By using the epithet Viśveśvara and the image of the cosmic dance—strongly Shaiva in flavor—within a Purāṇic setting that also accommodates Vaiṣṇava theology, it gestures to a non-sectarian identity of the Supreme Lord beyond name and form.