Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 53

Brahmacārin-Dharma: Guru-Sevā, Daily Vedic Study, Gāyatrī-Japa, and Anadhyāya Regulations

Devanagari script

प्रधानं पुरुषः कालो विष्णुर्ब्रह्मा महेश्वरः / सत्त्वं रजस्तमस्तिस्त्रः क्रमाद् व्याहृतयः स्मृताः

Transliteration

pradhānaṃ puruṣaḥ kālo viṣṇurbrahmā maheśvaraḥ / sattvaṃ rajastamastistraḥ kramād vyāhṛtayaḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Pradhāna（本原自然）、Puruṣa（觉知之人）、时间、毗湿奴、梵天与大自在天（Maheśvara），并三种guṇa——Sattva、Rajas、Tamas——依次被忆念为诸Vyāhṛti，宣说宇宙实相的圣言。

Word by Word

• प्रधानम्: Pradhāna (primordial matter)
• प्रधानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरुषः: Puruṣa (spirit/person)
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कालः: Time
• कालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara (Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: महा + ईश्वर

• सत्त्वम्: sattva (purity)
• सत्त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रजः: rajas (activity)
• रजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तमः: tamas (inertia)
• तमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (fem. ‘three’)

• क्रमात्: in order
• क्रमात्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति एकवचन; अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण ‘in order/successively’

• व्याहृतयः: vyāhṛtis
• व्याहृतयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याहृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्मृताः: are said/remembered
• स्मृताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘are remembered/called’

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing the sages (Paurāṇic tattva discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Pradhana
• Purusha
• Kala
• Vishnu
• Brahma
• Maheshvara
• Sattva
• Rajas
• Tamas
• Vyahritis

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By listing Puruṣa alongside Pradhāna and Time, the verse distinguishes consciousness (Puruṣa/Ātman) from material nature (Pradhāna) while showing how the Supreme is also expressed through divine functions—Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and Maheśvara—within the same cosmic order.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports a contemplative tattva-dhyāna approach: meditation on the hierarchy of principles—Nature, Self, Time, and the guṇas—so the practitioner can discern the seer (Puruṣa) from the seen (Pradhāna/guṇas), a key foundation for disciplined Yoga and Purāṇic liberation-teachings.

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

By placing Viṣṇu and Maheśvara together within one ordered enumeration of cosmic realities, it presents their roles as complementary expressions of the one supreme governance of the universe, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaiṣṇava harmonizing theology.