Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 68

Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rudra’s Samanvaya Teaching

Maṅkaṇaka Episode

Devanagari script

स देवो भगवान् ब्रह्मा विश्वरूपः पितामहः / तवैतत् कथितं सम्यक् स्त्रष्ट्वत्वं परमात्मनः

Transliteration

sa devo bhagavān brahmā viśvarūpaḥ pitāmahaḥ / tavaitat kathitaṃ samyak straṣṭvatvaṃ paramātmanaḥ

Translation

正是那位神祇——薄伽梵梵天（Brahmā），诸世界之祖父（Pitāmaha），以整个宇宙为其形相者——被你如实宣说为至上我（Paramātman）之创造之力。

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण/उपाधि

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन (प्रातिपदिक: ब्रह्मन्; रूप: ब्रह्मा)

• विश्वरूपः: of universal form
• विश्वरूपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśva-rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (विश्वं रूपं यस्य/विश्व-रूपः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• पितामहः: the grandsire
• पितामहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (पितॄणाम् महः/महान्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तव: to you/for you; your
• तव: Sampradana (सम्प्रदानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण

• कथितम्: has been told/declared
• कथितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) + kathita (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/ppp) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘has been told’

• सम्यक्: properly, correctly
• सम्यक्: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samyak (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• स्रष्टृत्वम्: the state of being creator
• स्रष्टृत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sraṣṭṛ-tva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्रष्टृ + त्व), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘creator-hood’

• परमात्मनः: of the Supreme Self
• परमात्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama-ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (परमः आत्मा), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

Speaker

A sage/narrator affirming the teaching (dialogue context within the Kurma Purana’s Upari-bhaga discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Paramatman

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It treats Brahmā not as an independent absolute, but as the Supreme Self (Paramātman)’s manifest function of creatorship—linking cosmic governance to one ultimate reality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is taught in this verse; it supports contemplation (dhyāna) on the cosmic form (viśvarūpa) and on Īśvara as the inner source of all functions (like creation), a framing used in Kurma Purana’s Pāśupata-oriented theism.

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

By grounding creatorship in the single Paramātman, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: divine roles (often associated with different deities) are expressions of one supreme principle rather than competing absolutes.