Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 62

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

Devanagari script

निवृत्तं सेवमानस्तु याति तत् परमं पदम् / तस्मान्निवृत्तं संसेव्यमन्यथा संसरेत् पुनः

Transliteration

nivṛttaṃ sevamānastu yāti tat paramaṃ padam / tasmānnivṛttaṃ saṃsevyamanyathā saṃsaret punaḥ

Translation

من يسلك طريق النِفِرِتّي يبلغ حقًّا المقام الأعلى. لذلك ينبغي ملازمة النِفِرِتّي والاجتهاد فيه؛ وإلا عاد المرء ثانيةً إلى السَّمسارة (دورة التناسخ).

Word by Word

• निवृत्तम्: withdrawal-path / renunciatory (practice)
• निवृत्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + वृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वृत्त from √वृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used substantively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सेवमानः: practicing/serving
• सेवमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेवमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; Parasmaipada sense; 'while practicing/serving'

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय; particle ('but/indeed')

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; agreeing with पदम्

• पदम्: state/abode
• पदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; Ablative singular (therefore)

• निवृत्तम्: withdrawal (path)
• निवृत्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि + वृत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वृत्त from √वृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त) used substantively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• संसेव्यम्: to be practiced
• संसेव्यम्: Vidhi (विधेय/आदेश)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + सेव् (धातु) → संसेव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्मणि कृदन्त (तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicative with implied 'भवति' (should be practiced)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय; adverb ('otherwise')

• संसरेत्: would transmigrate
• संसरेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + सृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय; adverb ('again')

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the sages (context of early Purva-bhaga teaching)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kūrma
• Mokṣa (paramaṃ padam)
• Saṃsāra
• Nivṛtti

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It frames liberation as the “supreme state” reached through nivṛtti—turning away from outward, sense-driven engagement—implying that realization of the highest truth is accessed by inner withdrawal rather than further worldly accumulation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes nivṛtti as a practical discipline: withdrawing the mind from objects, cultivating dispassion (vairāgya), and steady inward orientation—core prerequisites for Yoga and for the Purāṇic mokṣa-path often aligned with Pāśupata-style detachment and devotion.

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

While not naming Śiva explicitly, the teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach: the supreme goal (paramaṃ padam) is reached through renunciatory yoga and devotion—shared soteriology across Śaiva (e.g., Pāśupata) and Vaiṣṇava frameworks within the text.