Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 40

Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas

Devanagari script

नमो ऽस्तु नीलग्रीवाय नमस्तुभ्यं पिनाकिने / विलोहिताय भर्गाय सहस्राक्षाय ते नमः

Transliteration

namo 'stu nīlagrīvāya namastubhyaṃ pinākine / vilohitāya bhargāya sahasrākṣāya te namaḥ

Translation

礼敬青颈者；礼敬你，执持毗那迦弓（Pināka）者。礼敬赤红者；礼敬婆尔伽（Bharga），光辉而灭罪者；并礼敬你，千眼之主。

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोग; नमस्कारार्थ

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नीलग्रीवाय: to the blue-necked one
• नीलग्रीवाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नील + ग्रीवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: नीलः ग्रीवायां यस्य/नीलग्रीवः ‘blue-necked’; here dative

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोग; नमस्कारार्थ

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पिनाकिने: to the bearer of Pināka
• पिनाकिने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त-नाम (possessor): ‘having the bow Pināka’

• विलोहिताय: to the reddish one
• विलोहिताय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलोहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (epithet)

• भर्गाय: to Bharga (radiance)
• भर्गाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; देवता-नाम/तेजः (radiance)

• सहस्राक्षाय: to the thousand-eyed one
• सहस्राक्षाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: सहस्रम् अक्षीणि यस्य ‘thousand-eyed’

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (dative)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोग; नमस्कारार्थ

Speaker

A devotee/reciter within the narrative offering a Shiva-stuti (contextual chorus of praise in Purva-bhaga)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Pinaka
• Bharga
• Sahasraksha

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By praising Shiva as all-seeing (sahasrākṣa) and as purifying radiance (bharga), the verse points to the Supreme as the inner light that knows all and burns ignorance—an Atman/Ishvara vision expressed through devotional language.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse models bhakti-yoga as a preparatory discipline: repeated namas (salutation) steadies attention (ekāgratā) on divine attributes—an approach compatible with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva-Pashupata orientation where devotion supports inner purification before higher contemplative practice.

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

Even when the Kurma Purana presents Vishnu-Kurma as a central teacher elsewhere, this hymn honors Shiva with supreme epithets, reflecting the Purana’s synthetic theology where the one Ishvara is revered through both Shaiva and Vaishnava forms rather than as competing deities.