Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 90

Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany

Devanagari script

पिनाकपाणिर्भगवान् कृत्तिवासास्त्रिशूलभृत् / व्यालयज्ञोपवीतश्च मेघदुन्दुभिनिः स्वनः

Transliteration

pinākapāṇirbhagavān kṛttivāsāstriśūlabhṛt / vyālayajñopavītaśca meghadundubhiniḥ svanaḥ

Translation

吉祥的主手执毗那迦神弓，披兽皮衣，持三叉戟；以蛇为圣线（yajñopavīta），其声如雷云滚鼓，轰然回荡。

Word by Word

• पिनाकपाणिः: Pināka-in-hand (bow-bearing)
• पिनाकपाणिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाक + पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पिनाकं पाणौ यस्य/पिनाकधारी)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त

• कृत्तिवासाः: wearing a skin garment
• कृत्तिवासाः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्ति + वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (कृत्तिः वासः यस्य)

• त्रिशूलभृत्: bearing a trident
• त्रिशूलभृत्: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि + शूल + भृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (त्रिशूलं बिभर्ति)

• व्यालयज्ञोपवीतः: having a serpent as sacred thread
• व्यालयज्ञोपवीतः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याल + यज्ञोपवीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (व्यालः यज्ञोपवीतं यस्य)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• मेघदुन्दुभिनिःस्वनः: whose sound is like a cloud-drum (thunder)
• मेघदुन्दुभिनिःस्वनः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेघ + दुन्दुभि + निःस्वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (मेघदुन्दुभेः इव निःस्वनः यस्य)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic discourse describing Śiva’s form; traditionally framed within Sūta/Vyāsa-style narration)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Pinaka
• Trishula
• Serpent (Nāga)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By presenting Śiva as “Bhagavān” with cosmic resonance (voice like thunder), the verse points to a Lord whose presence is not merely anthropomorphic but pervades nature—suggesting a supreme, all-encompassing reality that spiritual practice seeks to realize.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is prescribed in this verse, but the iconography supports contemplation (dhyāna) on Śiva’s form—trident, serpent-upavīta, and thunderous nāda—used in Śaiva traditions as a meditative support for concentration and inner steadiness.

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

While the verse directly praises Śiva, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis treats such stuti as compatible with Vaiṣṇava devotion—affirming one supreme divinity praised through multiple forms, a key Shaiva–Vaishnava unity theme in the text.