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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

वेदार्थवित्तमैः कार्यं यत्स्मृतं मुनिभिः पुरा / स ज्ञेयः परमो धर्मो नान्यशास्त्रेषु संस्थितः

Transliteration

vedārthavittamaiḥ kāryaṃ yatsmṛtaṃ munibhiḥ purā / sa jñeyaḥ paramo dharmo nānyaśāstreṣu saṃsthitaḥ

Translation

ما علّمه الحكماء قديماً—أن يعمل المرء وفق من يعرف معنى الفيدا حقّ المعرفة—هو وحده الذي ينبغي أن يُعرَف بأنه الدَّرْمَا الأعلى؛ وليس ثابتاً في سائر الشاسترا الثانوية.

Word by Word
वेद-अर्थ-वित्तमैःby the best knowers of the Veda’s meaning
वेद-अर्थ-वित्तमैः:
करण (Karaṇa/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: वेदार्थस्य वित्तमाः (श्रेष्ठ-विद्वांसः) “best knowers of Vedic meaning”; Instrumental plural: “by/with the best knowers…”
कार्यम्is to be done
कार्यम्:
विधेय (Predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular neuter; predicate noun: “(it is) to be done”
यत्that which
यत्:
सम्बन्ध (Relative)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; Relative pronoun referring to the content “that which”
स्मृतम्declared/remembered
स्मृतम्:
कर्मणि-क्रियाविशेष (Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “remembered/declared”
मुनिभिःby sages
मुनिभिः:
करण (Karaṇa/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural: “by sages”
पुराformerly
पुरा:
काल (Time adjunct/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb); “formerly”
सःthat
सः:
कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun: “that (dharma)”
ज्ञेयःis to be known
ज्ञेयः:
विधेय (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञेय (कृदन्त-तव्य/यत्)
Formयत्/तव्यत्-अर्थे कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “is to be known”
परमःsupreme
परमः:
विशेषण (Adjective/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; agreeing with धर्मः: “supreme”
धर्मःdharma
धर्मः:
कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular masculine
नnot
न:
सम्बन्ध/निषेध (Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle/निषेध)
अन्य-शास्त्रेषुin other treatises
अन्य-शास्त्रेषु:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः “अन्यानि शास्त्राणि”; Locative plural: “in other treatises”
संस्थितःestablished
संस्थितः:
विधेय (Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “is situated/established”
Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu), instructing on Vedamūla-dharma

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities
V
Veda
M
Munis (sages)
D
Dharma

FAQs

Indirectly: it establishes that the highest truth and right conduct must be grounded in Veda-realization as preserved by realized sages; knowledge of Self is approached through Vedic meaning, not through isolated, non-Vedic speculation.

No single technique is named; the verse sets the prerequisite for Yoga and sādhanā—practice should follow Veda-meaning as transmitted by competent knowers, aligning discipline, ethics, and contemplation with Vedic authority (a foundation compatible with later Pāśupata-oriented instruction in the Purāṇa).

By asserting Veda-grounded supreme Dharma, it supports the Purāṇa’s synthetic stance: both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva paths are validated when rooted in Vedic meaning and taught by true knowers, rather than sectarian or purely secondary doctrines.

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