Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 93

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

Devanagari script

व्यक्ताव्यक्तात्मिकाकृष्णा रक्ताशुक्ला प्रसूतिका / अकार्या कार्यजननी नित्यं प्रसवधर्मिणी

Transliteration

vyaktāvyaktātmikākṛṣṇā raktāśuklā prasūtikā / akāryā kāryajananī nityaṃ prasavadharmiṇī

Translation

她兼具显与不显之性；色相幽黑，又含红与白之德——为生育之源。虽自身不由他生，却能出生一切果相；她的本性即是不息的创造。

Word by Word

• व्यक्ताव्यक्तात्मिका: of manifest-and-unmanifest nature
• व्यक्ताव्यक्तात्मिका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यक्त + अव्यक्त + आत्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद (व्यक्त-अव्यक्त) + तद्धित-आत्मिक; ‘having the nature of both manifest and unmanifest’

• अकृष्णा: not black; non-dark
• अकृष्णा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण

• रक्ता: red
• रक्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक; रञ्ज्-धातु क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अशुक्ला: not white
• अशुक्ला: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण

• प्रसूतिका: the producer, source
• प्रसूतिका: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसूतिका (प्रातिपदिक; प्रसू-धातु से)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भाववाचक/कर्तृवाचक संज्ञा

• अकार्या: non-effect; unproduced
• अकार्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक विशेषण

• कार्यजननी: mother of effects (products)
• कार्यजननी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कार्यस्य जननी)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• प्रसवधर्मिणी: having the nature of producing
• प्रसवधर्मिणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रसव + धर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रसवः धर्मः यस्याः)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prakriti (Shakti)
• Vyakta
• Avyakta
• Gunas (implied)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It distinguishes the ever-changing manifest/unmanifest field (Prakriti) from the higher witnessing principle implied behind it; Prakriti is the unproduced producer of effects, while the Self is understood as the steady knower of these transformations.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports discriminative contemplation (viveka) central to Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita and Pashupata-oriented practice: meditate on the difference between the changing guṇa-made Prakriti (producer of effects) and the stable indwelling Lord who transcends manifest/unmanifest.

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

By presenting a shared metaphysical framework—one Lord teaching the same Prakriti–tattva analysis used across Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions—this passage aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis rather than a rigid separation of Shiva and Vishnu.