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Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 1

Iśvara on Māyā, the Unmanifest, and the Viśvarūpa of the One Supreme

Devanagari script

इति श्रीकूर्मपाराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे (ईश्वरगीतासु) अष्टमो ऽध्यायः ऋषय ऊचुः निष्कलो निर्मलो नित्यो निष्क्रियः परमेश्वरः / तन्नो वद महादेव विश्वरूपः कथं भवान्

Transliteration

iti śrīkūrmapārāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuparivibhāge (īśvaragītāsu) aṣṭamo 'dhyāyaḥ ṛṣaya ūcuḥ niṣkalo nirmalo nityo niṣkriyaḥ parameśvaraḥ / tanno vada mahādeva viśvarūpaḥ kathaṃ bhavān

Translation

诸仙人说道：“至上主无分无缺、清净无垢、常住不变、无为无作。请告知我们，大天（Mahādeva）啊——你又如何同时是毗湿瓦鲁帕（Viśvarūpa），以整个宇宙为形相者？”

Word by Word
itithus
iti:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक (quotative/thus)
śrī-kūrma-purāṇein the Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa
śrī-kūrma-purāṇe:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī (प्रातिपदिक) + kūrma (प्रातिपदिक) + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नामधेय): ‘श्रीमत् कूर्मपुराणे’
ṣaṭ-sāhastryāmin the ‘six-thousand’ (section/recension)
ṣaṭ-sāhastryām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeAdjective
Rootṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + sāhastrī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: ‘षट्सहस्री’ (six-thousand [verses])
saṃhitāyāmin the Saṃhitā
saṃhitāyām:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootsaṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
upari-vibhāgein the upper section
upari-vibhāge:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootupari (अव्यय) + vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः—अव्ययीभाव: ‘उपरि’ + ‘विभाग’ = ‘upper division/section’
īśvara-gītāsuin the Īśvara-gītās
īśvara-gītāsu:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootīśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + gītā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष: ‘ईश्वरस्य गीताः’
aṣṭamaḥeighth
aṣṭamaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootaṣṭama (प्रातिपदिक; ordinal)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)
adhyāyaḥchapter
adhyāyaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootadhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
ṛṣayaḥsages
ṛṣayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
ūcuḥsaid
ūcuḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
niṣkalaḥpartless, without divisions
niṣkalaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootniṣkala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
nirmalaḥstainless, pure
nirmalaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootnirmala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
nityaḥeternal
nityaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootnitya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
niṣkriyaḥactionless, inactive
niṣkriyaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootniṣkriya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण
parameśvaraḥSupreme Lord
parameśvaraḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootparama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय: ‘परमः ईश्वरः’
tatthat
tat:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that (truth)’
naḥto us/for us
naḥ:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Gen/Dat), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-प्रयोग: ‘our/to us’
vadatell, speak
vada:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
TypeVerb
Root√vad (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
mahā-devaO Mahādeva
mahā-deva:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय
viśva-rūpaḥof universal form
viśva-rūpaḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootviśva (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय-प्रायः): ‘विश्वं रूपं यस्य’
kathamhow
katham:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Interrogative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootkatham (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)
bhavānyou (hon.)
bhavān:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootbhavat (प्रातिपदिक; सम्मानार्थ-प्रयोग)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific ‘you’)
Speaker

The Sages (Ṛṣayaḥ)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities
M
Mahādeva (Śiva)
P
Parameśvara
V
Viśvarūpa

FAQs

It points to the Supreme as niravayava (partless), nirmala (pure), nitya (eternal), and niṣkriya (beyond doership), indicating an Atman/Brahman-like reality untouched by change, karma, or material limitation.

This verse sets the doctrinal basis for meditation in the Īśvara-gītā: contemplation on the paradox of the nirguṇa (actionless, partless) Lord who also appears as saguṇa/viśvarūpa. Such inquiry supports Pāśupata-style inner discernment (viveka) leading toward steadiness in dhyāna on Īśvara beyond attributes.

By addressing the Supreme as “Mahādeva” while discussing the universal form and transcendence, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: one Parameśvara is praised through multiple divine names and functions, harmonizing Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava theological language.

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