Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 100

Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction

Devanagari script

व्यक्ता प्रथमजा ब्राह्मी महती ज्ञानरूपिणी / वैराग्यैश्वर्यधर्मात्मा ब्रह्ममूर्तिर्हृदिस्थिता / अपांयोनिः स्वयंभूतिर्मानसी तत्त्वसंभवा

Transliteration

vyaktā prathamajā brāhmī mahatī jñānarūpiṇī / vairāgyaiśvaryadharmātmā brahmamūrtirhṛdisthitā / apāṃyoniḥ svayaṃbhūtirmānasī tattvasaṃbhavā

Translation

她是显现之力，是最初所生的梵母（Brahmī）；她即“大原理”（Mahat），其形体本为智慧。她的自性是离欲（vairāgya）、神圣主宰（aiśvarya）与法（dharma）；作为梵之形相，她安住于心中。她出自宇宙之水，自生而起，意生而现，由tattva——根本真实——所生。

Word by Word

• व्यक्ता: manifest
• व्यक्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘manifest’

• प्रथमजा: first-born
• प्रथमजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रथमा जाता’ (first-born)

• ब्राह्मी: Brahmī; pertaining to Brahman/Brahmā
• ब्राह्मी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्मसम्बन्धिनी’ (pertaining to Brahmā/Brahman)

• महती: great
• महती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ज्ञानरूपिणी: whose form is knowledge
• ज्ञानरूपिणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ज्ञानं रूपं यस्याः’ (whose form is knowledge)

• वैराग्य: dispassion
• वैराग्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• ऐश्वर्य: lordship, power
• ऐश्वर्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद

• धर्मात्मा: whose nature is dharma
• धर्मात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः ‘धर्मः आत्मा यस्याः’ (whose essence is dharma)

• ब्रह्ममूर्तिः: embodiment of Brahman
• ब्रह्ममूर्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘ब्रह्मणः मूर्तिः’ (embodiment of Brahman)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• स्थिता: situated
• स्थिता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP) ‘situated’

• अपाम्: of waters
• अपाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (gen. pl.)

• योनिः: source, womb
• योनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वयंभूतिः: self-originated existence
• स्वयंभूतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वयम् + भूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्वयम्’ (अव्यय) + ‘भूति’ (existence/origin): self-originated being

• मानसी: mental, of the mind
• मानसी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘मनसः’ (mental)

• तत्त्वसंभवा: arising from the principle (tattva)
• तत्त्वसंभवा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्त्व + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘तत्त्वतः सम्भवा’ (arising from principle/reality)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching the Ishvara Gita to King Indradyumna (via the sages’ frame-narration)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma (Vishnu)
• Brahman
• Brahmī (Shakti)
• Mahat (Mahat-tattva)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By saying the Brahman-formed power “abides in the heart” (hṛdisthitā), the verse points to the inner presence of ultimate reality: realization is inward, where Brahman is intuited as the ground of knowledge and dharma.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The key Yogic cue is inward contemplation: recognizing the brahma-mūrti abiding in the heart supports dhyāna (meditation) and viveka (discernment). The stress on vairāgya (dispassion) aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita ethos that renunciation and inner knowledge stabilize Yoga.

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

While not naming Shiva directly, the verse reflects the Purana’s synthesis: the teaching voice is Vishnu as Kurma, yet the metaphysics (tattva, Mahat, inner Brahman, dharma and vairāgya) matches the shared Shaiva–Vaishnava non-dual framework emphasized in the Ishvara Gita.