Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 25

Īśvara-Gītā (continued): Twofold Yoga, Aṣṭāṅga Discipline, Pāśupata Meditation, and the Unity of Nārāyaṇa–Maheśvara

Devanagari script

ओष्ठयोः स्पन्दमात्रेण परस्याशब्दबोधकः / उपांशुरेष निर्दिष्टः साहस्रो वाचिकाज्जपः

Transliteration

oṣṭhayoḥ spandamātreṇa parasyāśabdabodhakaḥ / upāṃśureṣa nirdiṣṭaḥ sāhasro vācikājjapaḥ

Translation

当真言不以可闻之声宣出，仅以唇微动而令其义相应时，此被教为“优般输”(upāṃśu，低语/无声诵念)。此优般输持诵被宣说为较口诵(vācika)持诵胜妙千倍。

Word by Word

• oṣṭhayoḥ: of the two lips
• oṣṭhayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन)

• spanda-mātreṇa: by mere movement
• spanda-mātreṇa: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: spanda (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुषः—मात्रा-विशिष्टः स्पन्दः (‘by mere movement’)

• parasya: of another (person)
• parasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• aśabda-bodhakaḥ: making (it) known without sound
• aśabda-bodhakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (उपसर्ग/नञ्) + śabda (प्रातिपदिक) + bodhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); नञ्-तत्पुरुषः—‘aśabda’ (without sound) + ‘bodhaka’ (making known)

• upāṃśuḥ: (japa) in a low voice; whispering
• upāṃśuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāṃśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

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

• nirdiṣṭaḥ: is prescribed/defined
• nirdiṣṭaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir-√diś (दिश् धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• sāhasraḥ: a thousandfold; thousand (in measure)
• sāhasraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• vācikāt: than the spoken (japa)
• vācikāt: Apādāna (अपादान/पञ्चमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vācika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• japaḥ: repetition; japa
• japaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna within the Ishvara Gita teaching context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Ishvara Gita
• Japa
• Upamshu

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By praising soundless (aśabda) indication of the mantra, the verse points toward an inward, subtle realization—where the sacred meaning is apprehended internally rather than through external speech, aligning practice with the inwardly known Supreme.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights mantra-japa as a yogic discipline and ranks upāṃśu (inaudible/whispered) recitation above vācika (aloud) japa, emphasizing interiorization, restraint of speech, and steadier concentration—key features of Pashupata-oriented sādhanā in the Ishvara Gita.

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

Though Shiva is not named in this line, the Ishvara Gita’s shared yogic vocabulary (japa, inner discipline, subtle recitation) reflects the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the same inner yogic method is upheld as a universal means to realize Ishvara beyond sectarian form.