Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 47

Īśvara-gītā: Antaryāmin, Kāla, and the Divine Ordinance Governing Creation, Preservation, and Pralaya

Devanagari script

याशेषजगतां योनिर्मोहिनी सर्वदेहिनाम् / माया विवर्तते नित्यं सापीश्वरनियोगतः

Transliteration

yāśeṣajagatāṃ yonirmohinī sarvadehinām / māyā vivartate nityaṃ sāpīśvaraniyogataḥ

Translation

彼摩耶（Māyā）——为一切宇宙之胎藏（本源），亦为诸有身众生之迷惑者——恒常变幻，投射种种相状；然其所作，唯依自在天（Īśvara，主宰）之敕令而行。

Word by Word

• या: she who
• या: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अशेषजगताम्: of all the worlds
• अशेषजगताम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष + जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (genitive plural); समासः—अशेषं जगत् इति कर्मधारयः; ‘of all the worlds/beings without remainder’

• योनिḥ: womb, source
• योनिḥ: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मोहिनी: deluding, enchanting
• मोहिनी: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (deluding/enchanting)

• सर्वदेहिनाम्: of all embodied beings
• सर्वदेहिनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—सर्वे देहिनः इति कर्मधारयः (all embodied beings)

• माया: māyā, illusion-power
• माया: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवर्तते: manifests/appears (as transformation)
• विवर्तते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु) + वि-
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; ‘undergoes transformation/appears as’

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative) ‘always/constantly’

• सा: she/that (māyā)
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; संकेतसर्वनाम (that/she)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्धसूचक (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) ‘also/even’

• ईश्वरनियोगतः: by the Lord’s ordinance
• ईश्वरनियोगतः: हेतु/निमित्त (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ईश्वर + नियोग (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्/तस्-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘from/according to’; समासः—ईश्वरस्य नियोगः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः + तस्; अर्थः ‘by/according to the Lord’s ordinance’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Maya
• Ishvara

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that the changing universe arises through Māyā’s projections, while the ultimate Lord (Īśvara)—and by extension the Self realized through yoga—remains the governing, non-confused reality beyond delusion.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports Pāśupata-style discipline: recognizing delusion (moha) as Māyā’s operation and cultivating discriminative knowledge (viveka), devotion to Īśvara, and steady meditation to cease identification with embodied change.

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

By centering governance in Īśvara while treating Māyā as a dependent power, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian stance: the supreme Lord (read as Hari-Hara in synthesis) is one, and cosmic power operates under that single sovereignty.