Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 3

The True Liṅga as Formless Brahman — Self-Luminous Īśa and the Yoga of Liberation

Devanagari script

तन्निष्ठाः शान्तसंकल्पा नित्यं तद्भावभाविताः / पश्यन्ति तत् परं ब्रह्म यत्तल्लिङ्गमिति श्रुतिः

Transliteration

tanniṣṭhāḥ śāntasaṃkalpā nityaṃ tadbhāvabhāvitāḥ / paśyanti tat paraṃ brahma yattalliṅgamiti śrutiḥ

Translation

凡安住于彼者，意愿寂静，恒常为对彼的观想所熏染；此等瑜伽行者得见至上梵（Brahman），正如圣典（Śruti）所宣说：“彼即其真实之相（标志）。”

Word by Word

• tat-niṣṭhāḥ: steadfast in That
• tat-niṣṭhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + niṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्मिन् निष्ठा येषाम्/तत्-निष्ठ) used adjectivally

• śānta-saṃkalpāḥ: with tranquil resolve
• śānta-saṃkalpāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √śam/शम् + निष्ठा) + saṃkalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (शान्तः संकल्पः येषाम्/शान्त-संकल्प)

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतम् (adverbial accusative)

• tat-bhāva-bhāvitāḥ: imbued with that state
• tat-bhāva-bhāvitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāvita (कृदन्त; √bhū/भू + णिच् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तद्भावेन भाविताः = imbued with that state)

• paśyanti: see
• paśyanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण

• brahma: Brahman
• brahma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• tat-liṅgam: its mark/indicator
• tat-liṅgam: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तस्य लिङ्गम्)

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• śrutiḥ: the scripture/śruti
• śrutiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita section

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Shruti
• Ishvara (implied)
• Yoga (implied)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as “param brahma” realized by direct seeing (paśyanti) when the mind becomes quiet and firmly established in That; Shruti is cited as the authoritative witness to this transcendent Reality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Steady one-pointed abidance in the Supreme (tanniṣṭhā), calming of saṃkalpa (mental constructions), and continuous bhāvanā—sustained contemplation that saturates the practitioner—leading to immediate realization rather than mere belief.

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

By centering realization on the non-dual “param brahma” verified by Śruti, it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: sectarian forms are gateways, while the ultimate object of Pāśupata-Yogic contemplation and Vaiṣṇava devotion is the same Supreme Reality.