Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 27

Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion

Devanagari script

हिरण्यगर्भा भगवान् जगत् सदसदात्मकम् / सृजेदशेषं प्रकृतेस्तन्मयः पञ्चविंशकः

Transliteration

hiraṇyagarbhā bhagavān jagat sadasadātmakam / sṛjedaśeṣaṃ prakṛtestanmayaḥ pañcaviṃśakaḥ

Translation

具福德的主以“金胎”（Hiraṇyagarbha）之相，从自性Prakṛti中生起整个宇宙——其体性兼具显与不显。遍入其中为其本质，因此被称为第二十五原理。

Word by Word

• हिरण्यगर्भः: Hiraṇyagarbha
• हिरण्यगर्भः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिरण्य+गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हिरण्यस्य गर्भः)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सत्: existent/real
• सत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग) प्रातिपदिक; सदसदात्मकम् इत्यस्य पूर्वाङ्ग

• असत्: non-existent/unreal
• असत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासाङ्ग) प्रातिपदिक; सदसदात्मकम् इत्यस्य पूर्वाङ्ग

• आत्मकम्: having the nature of
• आत्मकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (जगत् qualifies)

• सृजेत्: should create
• सृजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• अशेषम्: entire, without remainder
• अशेषम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (जगत् qualifies)

• प्रकृतेः: of Prakṛti
• प्रकृतेः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• तन्मयः: consisting of that (Prakṛti)
• तन्मयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद्+मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य मयः = consisting of that)

• पञ्चविंशकः: the twenty-fifth (principle)
• पञ्चविंशकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चविंशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (पञ्चविंशतिः संख्या)

Speaker

Narratorial/teaching voice within the Purāṇic discourse (cosmological exposition attributed to the revealed teaching of the Lord in the Kurma Purana context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Hiraṇyagarbha
• Bhagavān
• Prakṛti
• Pañcaviṃśa-tattva (Puruṣa/Īśvara)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the Supreme Lord as the “twenty-fifth principle” beyond the twenty-four Sāṃkhya tattvas, indicating a transcendent Puruṣa/Īśvara who nevertheless pervades Prakṛti and governs manifestation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

While not prescribing a technique directly, the verse supplies the metaphysical basis used in Kurma Purana’s Yoga teaching: meditation discriminates the 25th tattva (Īśvara/Puruṣa) from Prakṛti and the manifest/unmanifest field, supporting īśvara-dhyāna and tattva-viveka central to Pāśupata-oriented practice.

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

By presenting the single Bhagavān as the transcendent 25th tattva who pervades Prakṛti and creates, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology where the supreme Īśvara—revered through both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms—stands as the one source and inner ruler of creation.