Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68

Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching

Iśvara-Gītā Prelude

Devanagari script

इन्द्रद्युम्न उवाच यज्ञेशाच्युत गोविन्द माधवानन्त केशव / कुष्ण विष्णो हृषीकेश तुभ्यं विश्वात्मने नमः

Transliteration

indradyumna uvāca yajñeśācyuta govinda mādhavānanta keśava / kuṣṇa viṣṇo hṛṣīkeśa tubhyaṃ viśvātmane namaḥ

Translation

因陀罗底耶摩那说：噢祭祀之主，噢不堕者阿周陀——戈文达、摩达瓦、阿难多、计舍瓦；噢黑天，噢毗湿奴，噢赫利希凯沙——礼敬于你，遍在万有、内住一切的宇宙之我。

Word by Word

• indradyumnaḥ: Indradyumna
• indradyumnaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indradyumna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, Perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• yajñeśa: O Lord of sacrifice
• yajñeśa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'lord of sacrifice'

• acyuta: O Acyuta
• acyuta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acyuta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• govinda: O Govinda
• govinda: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govinda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• mādhava: O Mādhava
• mādhava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mādhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• ananta: O Ananta
• ananta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• keśava: O Keśava
• keśava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keśava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• kṛṣṇa: O Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• viṣṇo: O Viṣṇu
• viṣṇo: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• hṛṣīkeśa: O Hṛṣīkeśa
• hṛṣīkeśa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛṣīkeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• viśva-ātmane: to the Universal Self
• viśva-ātmane: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'whose self is the universe / universal self'

• namaḥ: salutation, homage
• namaḥ: Prayojana/भाव (उपपद-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), interjection/particle of salutation; governs dative

Speaker

Indradyumna

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Vishnu
• Govinda
• Madhava
• Ananta
• Keshava
• Krishna
• Hrishikesha
• Yajnesha
• Vishvatman

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By addressing Viṣṇu as viśvātmā (the Universal Self), the verse presents the Supreme as the indwelling Ātman of all beings—immanent in the cosmos while remaining the transcendent Lord worthy of worship.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes nāma-smaraṇa and stuti (meditative repetition and praise of divine names) as a concentrative bhakti-practice that steadies the senses under Hṛṣīkeśa (the Lord of the senses), aligning devotion with inner discipline valued across Kurma Purana’s yogic teachings.

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

While explicitly praising Viṣṇu, the theological frame “viśvātmā” supports Kurma Purana’s synthesis: the Supreme is one inner Self beyond sectarian division, allowing Shaiva-Vaishnava unity through a shared non-dual ground of divinity.