Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 111

Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany

Devanagari script

य इमं श्रावयेन्नित्यं लिङ्गाध्यायमनुत्तमम् / शृणुयाद् वा पठेद् वापि सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

ya imaṃ śrāvayennityaṃ liṅgādhyāyamanuttamam / śṛṇuyād vā paṭhed vāpi sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

مَن يُداوم على أن يُتلى عليه هذا «فصل اللِّينغا» الذي لا نظير له، أو يستمع إليه، أو يقرؤه—يُعتَق من جميع الآثام.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• imam: this
• imam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• śrāvayet: should cause to be heard / recite to (others)
• śrāvayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: Causative (णिजन्त), Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• nityam: always, regularly
• nityam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• liṅga-adhyāyam: the chapter on the liṅga
• liṅga-adhyāyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (ṣaṣṭhī/सम्बन्ध: liṅgasya adhyāyaḥ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed, excellent
• anuttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); viśeṣaṇa of liṅgādhyāyam

• śṛṇuyāt: should listen
• śṛṇuyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction/alternative particle (विकल्पार्थक)

• paṭhet: should read/recite
• paṭhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction/alternative particle (विकल्पार्थक)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)

• sarva-pāpaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpaiḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) (sarvāṇi pāpāni), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pramucyate: is freed / is released
• pramucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense (कर्मणि प्रयोग)

Speaker

Sūta (traditional Purāṇic narrator) recounting the phalaśruti (fruit of hearing/recitation) within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Śiva

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it teaches purification (pāpa-kṣaya) through śravaṇa/pāṭha of sacred teaching, preparing the mind for Self-knowledge rather than defining Ātman philosophically.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A bhakti-and-śāstra based discipline: daily listening (śravaṇa), recitation/reading (pāṭha), and sponsoring recitation (śrāvaṇa/śrāvayet). In Kurma Purana’s yoga framework, such practices function as citta-śuddhi supportive of higher yoga.

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

By elevating the Liṅga teaching as salvific within a Purāṇa associated with Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu), it reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis—Śiva-devotion and Purāṇic dharma are presented as compatible paths to purification.