Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20

Time-Reckoning (Kāla-gaṇanā): Yugas, Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Prākṛta Pralaya

Devanagari script

अनादिरेष भगवान् कालो ऽनन्तो ऽजरो ऽमरः / सर्वगत्वात् स्वतन्त्रत्वात् सर्वात्मासौ महेश्वरः

Transliteration

anādireṣa bhagavān kālo 'nanto 'jaro 'maraḥ / sarvagatvāt svatantratvāt sarvātmāsau maheśvaraḥ

Translation

祂无始无终——此具福的主以时间（迦罗，Kāla）之相：无量、无衰、无死。由于祂遍一切处且绝对自在，那位大自在天（Mahā-īśvara）即是一切众生内在之我（Ātman）。

Word by Word

• अनादिः: beginningless
• अनादिः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (negation): ‘आदिः’ (beginning) न अस्ति यस्य

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/प्रेडिकेट-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• कालः: Time
• कालः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अनन्तः: endless; infinite
• अनन्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an-anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: ‘अन्तः’ (end) न अस्ति यस्य

• अजरः: ageless
• अजरः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-jara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: ‘जरः/जरा’ (old age) न अस्ति यस्य

• अमरः: immortal
• अमरः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-mara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष: ‘मरः’ (mortal) न

• सर्वगत्वात्: because of being all-pervading
• सर्वगत्वात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-gatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (causal ablative): ‘because of omnipresence’

• स्वतन्त्रत्वात्: because of independence
• स्वतन्त्रत्वात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svatantra-tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (causal ablative)

• सर्वात्मा: the Self of all
• सर्वात्मा: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘सर्वेषाम् आत्मा’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• महेश्वरः: the Great Lord
• महेश्वरः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā-īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महान् ईश्वरः’

Speaker

A narrator/sage voice praising Maheshvara (within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Maheshvara
• Kāla (Time)
• Bhagavān

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies Maheshvara as sarvātmā—the indwelling Self of all—beginningless, infinite, and untouched by decay or death, indicating the Supreme as the inner reality present in every being.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports Īśvara-centered meditation: contemplate the Lord as all-pervading (sarvagata) and independent (svatantra), a classic basis for one-pointed devotion (bhakti) and inner absorption (dhyāna/samādhi) aligned with Pāśupata-oriented theism in the Kurma Purana.

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

By using the title Maheshvara while describing the Supreme in universal, all-pervading terms, it fits the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where the highest reality is one—revered through Shaiva names and also harmonizable with Vaishnava “Bhagavān,” emphasizing unity rather than sectarian separation.