Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya

Ananta–Kāla

Devanagari script

शैलं रसातलं विप्राः शार्करं हि तलातलम् / पीतं सुतलमित्युक्तं नितलं विद्रुमप्रभम् / सितं हि वितलं प्रोक्तं तलं चैव सितेतरम्

Transliteration

śailaṃ rasātalaṃ viprāḥ śārkaraṃ hi talātalam / pītaṃ sutalamityuktaṃ nitalaṃ vidrumaprabham / sitaṃ hi vitalaṃ proktaṃ talaṃ caiva sitetaram

Translation

婆罗门们啊，罗萨塔拉（Rasātala）被说成如山岩石；塔拉塔拉（Talātala）确是砂砾遍布。苏塔拉（Sutala）被称为黄色；尼塔拉（Nitala）放射珊瑚般的光辉。维塔拉（Vitala）被宣说为白色，而塔拉（Tala）则呈非白之色。

Word by Word

• शैलम्: (is) rocky/mountainous
• शैलम्: सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (Appositional predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (predicate/apposition)

• रसातलम्: Rasātala (a netherworld)
• रसातलम्: विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक); components: रस + अतल
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषसमास

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: सम्बोधन (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Vocative/Nominative plural; here संबोधन (address)

• शार्करम्: gravelly/stony
• शार्करम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शार्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective used predicatively (qualifies तलातलम्)

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• तलातलम्: Talātala (a netherworld)
• तलातलम्: विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तलातल (प्रातिपदिक); components: तल + अतल
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषसमास

• पीतम्: yellow
• पीतम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from पा (धातु) → पीत, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective ‘yellow’ used predicatively (qualifies सुतलम्)

• सुतलम्: Sutala
• सुतलम्: विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• इति: thus
• इति: वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरण (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्तम्: is said/called
• उक्तम्: कर्मणि-क्रिया (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative ‘is said/called’

• नितलम्: Nitala
• नितलम्: विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (name of a region)

• विद्रुमप्रभम्: coral-hued / having coral-like radiance
• विद्रुमप्रभम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्रुम-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक); components: विद्रुम + प्रभ
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास; adjective qualifying नितलम्

• सितम्: white
• सितम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective ‘white’ qualifying वितलम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

• वितलम्: Vitala
• वितलम्: विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared
• प्रोक्तम्: कर्मणि-क्रिया (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative ‘is declared’

• तलम्: Tala
• तलम्: विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (name)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)

• सितेतरम्: non-white / other than white (darkish)
• सितेतरम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित-इतर (प्रातिपदिक); components: सित + इतर
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास; adjective qualifying तलम्

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) describing Purāṇic cosmic geography to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Rasātala
• Talātala
• Sutala
• Nitala
• Vitala
• Tala

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse does not teach Ātman directly; it maps the differentiated cosmic realms (pātāla-lokas). In the Kurma Purāṇa’s broader vision, such layered geography functions as a backdrop showing the ordered manifestation (vyavasthā) within which the Self remains unbound and transcendent.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse. Indirectly, it supports dhyāna by providing a Purāṇic cosmographic schema often used for contemplative visualization of the cosmos before turning to higher disciplines such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion and inner restraint taught elsewhere in the text.

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

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it is cosmographic. In the Kurma Purāṇa’s synthesis, such cosmology is presented as part of a single sacred order upheld by the same supreme reality revered through both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms.