Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43

Prākṛta Sṛṣṭi and Pralaya: From Pradhāna to Brahmāṇḍa; Trimūrti Samanvaya

Devanagari script

तेजो दशगुणेनैव बाह्यतो वायुनावृतम् / आकाशेनावृतो वायुः खं तु भूतादिनावृतम्

Transliteration

tejo daśaguṇenaiva bāhyato vāyunāvṛtam / ākāśenāvṛto vāyuḥ khaṃ tu bhūtādināvṛtam

Translation

火（tejas）外被风所包裹，增至十倍；风为虚空（ākāśa）所包裹；而虚空又为“bhūtādi”——以诸元素为始的原初根源——所包裹。

Word by Word

• तेजः: fire/energy (tejas)
• तेजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दशगुणेन: by a tenfold measure
• दशगुणेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश + गुण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रमाणवाचक-विशेषणम्

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अवधारणार्थक-निपातः

• बाह्यतः: externally
• बाह्यतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बाह्यतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम्; देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• वायुना: by wind/air
• वायुना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; करणार्थे

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (वृञ्/वृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘तेजः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• आकाशेन: by space/ether
• आकाशेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; करणार्थे

• आवृतः: covered
• आवृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (वृञ्/वृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘वायुः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• वायुः: wind/air
• वायुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• खम्: space (kha)
• खम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अत्र प्रथमा (subject/predicate)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपातः (but/indeed)

• भूतादिना: by the source of elements (bhūtādi)
• भूतादिना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; करणार्थे; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूतानाम् आदिः = मूलकारणम्/प्रकृतिः)

• आवृतम्: covered
• आवृतम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√वृ (वृञ्/वृ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘खम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic cosmological teaching of the sages

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Tejas
• Vayu
• Akasha
• Bhutadi

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By describing layers of elemental “envelopment,” the verse implies that the Self is not any one element; Atman is distinct from these coverings and is realized by discerning the difference between the witnessing consciousness and the evolving tattvas.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It supports tattva-viveka used in meditative inquiry: tracing experience from gross elements to subtler causes, then disengaging identification with these layers—an approach aligned with Kurma Purana’s Yoga-oriented, Pāśupata-friendly purification and discrimination.

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

Though not naming them directly, the shared cosmological framework is typical of the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: the same tattva-order is taught within a devotional-theistic horizon where the Supreme Lord—honored as Hari-Hara in spirit—transcends and governs the elemental coverings.