Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 35

Snātaka and Gṛhastha-Dharma: Conduct, Marriage Norms, Daily Rites, and Liberating Virtues

Devanagari script

दमः शरीरोपरमः शमः प्रज्ञाप्रिसादजः / अध्यात्ममक्षरं विद्याद् यत्र गत्वा न शोचति

Transliteration

damaḥ śarīroparamaḥ śamaḥ prajñāprisādajaḥ / adhyātmamakṣaraṃ vidyād yatra gatvā na śocati

Translation

الدَّمَةُ هي كفُّ اندفاعات الجسد، والشَّمَةُ سكونُ الباطن الناشئ من صفاء الحكمة وطمأنينتها. فاعرف الحقيقةَ غيرَ الفانية بوصفها الذات (أدهياتمان)؛ فمن بلغها لا يحزن.

Word by Word

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• शरीर-उपरमः: restraint of the body
• शरीर-उपरमः: समानााधिकरण (Apposition to ‘दमः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शरीरस्य उपरमः = cessation/restraint of the body)

• शमः: tranquility
• शमः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• प्रज्ञा-प्रसाद-जः: born from serenity/clarity of intellect
• प्रज्ञा-प्रसाद-जः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier of ‘शमः’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रज्ञायाः प्रसादात् जातः = born of clarity of understanding)

• अध्यात्मम्: the inner self/spirituality
• अध्यात्मम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यात्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अक्षरम्: imperishable
• अक्षरम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of ‘अध्यात्मम्’)

• विद्यात्: should know
• विद्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (relative adverb of place: where)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/क्त्वा), अव्ययभाव; ‘having gone’

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• शोचति: grieves
• शोचति: क्रिया (Kriyā/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Atman
• Akshara
• Adhyatma

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the realized Self as akṣara (imperishable). Knowing this inner reality (adhyātman) ends sorrow, implying liberation through direct realization rather than external attainments.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds foundational yogic disciplines: dama (sense-control/ethical restraint) and śama (inner stillness). It frames śama as arising from prajñā-prasāda—lucid discriminative wisdom—supporting meditative absorption and steady knowledge.

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

While not naming either deity, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s shared soteriology across Shaiva and Vaishnava streams: liberation comes through adhyātma-jñāna (Self-knowledge) and yogic restraint, a common ground for both Pashupata-leaning and Vishnu-centered teachings.