Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

Cosmic Night, Nārāyaṇa as Brahmā, and the Varāha Raising of the Earth

Devanagari script

पृथिवीं तु समीकृत्य पृथिव्यां सो ऽचिनोद् गिरीन् / प्राक्सर्गदग्धानखिलांस्ततः सर्गे ऽदधन्मनः

Transliteration

pṛthivīṃ tu samīkṛtya pṛthivyāṃ so 'cinod girīn / prāksargadagdhānakhilāṃstataḥ sarge 'dadhanmanaḥ

Translation

既平整并安顿大地于正序，遂又在其上堆起诸山。继而见万有皆为前劫未创之火所焚灼，便定心意，令新一轮创造再度兴起。

Word by Word

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वय (but/indeed)

• समीकृत्य: having leveled/made even
• समीकृत्य: पूर्वक्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त/absolutive), उपसर्ग ‘सम्-’; अव्ययभाव

• पृथिव्याम्: on the earth
• पृथिव्याम्: अधिकरण (Locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अचिनोत्: piled up/arranged
• अचिनोत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चि (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• गिरीन्: mountains
• गिरीन्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्राक्: previously/before
• प्राक्: सम्बन्ध (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (formerly/before)

• सर्गदग्धान्: burnt in the previous creation
• सर्गदग्धान्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्ग + दग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘सर्गे दग्ध’ (burnt in the creation/at the time of creation); विशेषण (qualifying गिरीन्)

• अखिलान्: all
• अखिलान्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गिरीन्)

• ततः: then
• ततः: सम्बन्ध (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereafter)

• सर्गे: in (the act of) creation
• सर्गे: अधिकरण (Locus/occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अदधत्: placed/fixed
• अदधत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मनः: mind/attention
• मनः: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the cosmogonic account to the sages

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Pṛthivī (Earth)
• Girayaḥ (Mountains)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: the verse portrays a single sovereign intelligence that re-establishes cosmic order after a prior burning—implying an overseeing, unifying principle behind cyclical creation and dissolution rather than random material change.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The wording “he fixed his mind upon creation” (sarge ’dadhān manaḥ) emphasizes concentrated intention (ekāgratā/saṅkalpa), a yogic motif later elaborated in the Kurma Purana’s teachings on disciplined mind, devotion, and Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis.

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

This particular verse is primarily cosmogonic and does not explicitly name Shiva or Vishnu; however, in the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis, such creative agency is ultimately attributed to the one Supreme Lord who is praised through both Shaiva and Vaishnava frames.