Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 54

Dakṣa-yajña-bhaṅgaḥ — Dadhīci’s Teaching and the Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice

Devanagari script

ईश्वरः सर्वभूतानां सर्वभूततनुर्हरः / पूज्यते सर्वयज्ञेषु सर्वाभ्युदसिद्धिदः

Transliteration

īśvaraḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvabhūtatanurharaḥ / pūjyate sarvayajñeṣu sarvābhyudasiddhidaḥ

Translation

伊湿伐罗是一切众生之主——哈利以一切众生之身为己身之相——在一切祭祀中皆受礼敬，因为他赐予一切兴盛与一切成就（悉地）。

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• सर्वभूततनुः: whose body is all beings
• सर्वभूततनुः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of ‘ईश्वरः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सर्वभूतानि तनुः यस्य’

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: समनाधिकरण (Apposition to ‘ईश्वरः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पूज्यते: is worshipped
• पूज्यते: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सर्वयज्ञेषु: in all sacrifices
• सर्वयज्ञेषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• सर्व-अभ्युद-सिद्धि-दः: giver of all prosperity and success
• सर्व-अभ्युद-सिद्धि-दः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa of ‘ईश्वरः/हरः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्युदय (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सर्वाभ्युदय-सिद्धिं ददाति’

Speaker

Narratorial / Purāṇic instruction (Īśvara-stuti within the Kurma Purana’s teaching context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ishvara
• Hari

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents Īśvara as the indwelling reality whose “body” is all beings—implying the Self pervades and supports every embodied life, so worship reaches the one Lord present in all.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes inner recognition (antaryāmin-bhāva): seeing all beings as the Lord’s form. This supports yogic concentration and devotion where yajña becomes an offering of mind and action to Īśvara, culminating in siddhi through disciplined worship.

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

By naming the Supreme as the all-pervading Īśvara and also as Hari, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian stance: the one Lord is approached through different divine names and worship-forms, yet remains a single reality.