Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 56

Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order

Devanagari script

दोषाणां दर्शनाच्चैव द्वापरे ज्ञानसंभवः / एषा रजस्तमोयुक्ता वृत्तिर्वै द्वापरे स्मृता

Transliteration

doṣāṇāṃ darśanāccaiva dvāpare jñānasaṃbhavaḥ / eṣā rajastamoyuktā vṛttirvai dvāpare smṛtā

Translation

حقًّا، لأن العيوب تُرى وتُدرك، ففي عصر دڤابرا ينشأ علمُ التمييز (فيفيكا). وهذه السيرةُ الممزوجةُ بالراجس والتامس تُذكَرُ على أنها خُلُقُ دڤابرا المميّز.

Word by Word

• दोषाणाम्: of faults
• दोषाणाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• दर्शनात्: from seeing/observation
• दर्शनात्: अपादान (अपादान/Source-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी-अपादान), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: अवधारण (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ज्ञान-सम्भवः: arising of knowledge
• ज्ञान-सम्भवः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य सम्भवः)

• एषा: this
• एषा: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• रजस्-तमो-युक्ता: endowed with rajas and tamas
• रजस्-तमो-युक्ता: विशेषण (of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, √युज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रजस्+तमस् इति द्वन्द्व-समास, तेन युक्ता (युक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)

• वृत्तिः: tendency/condition
• वृत्तिः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: अवधारण (assertive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of assertion)

• द्वापरे: in Dvāpara
• द्वापरे: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्मृता: is remembered/called
• स्मृता: कर्म (कर्म/Predicate complement in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त, √स्मृ)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘(इति) स्मृता’ = ‘is remembered/called’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages/seekers on dharma and yuga-characteristics

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Dvapara-yuga
• rajas
• tamas
• jñāna

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By implying that true knowledge (jñāna) arises through discerning defects (doṣa-darśana) in conditioned life, the verse points toward Atman-realization as a discriminative turning away from rajas–tamas and toward inner clarity.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes viveka (discernment) as a yogic foundation: noticing the limitations of rajas and tamas supports vairāgya (detachment) and steadies practice—central to Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-dharma framework, including Pāśupata-oriented discipline and purification of conduct (vṛtti-śuddhi).

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

While not naming Shiva directly, the teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: the same Supreme Lord who teaches as Kurma (Vishnu) also upholds the Shaiva yogic emphasis on purifying vṛttis and transcending rajas–tamas—showing unity in doctrine and goal.