Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 43

Rules of Food, Acceptance, and Purity for the Twice-Born

Dvija-Śauca and Anna-Doṣa

Devanagari script

तस्मात् सर्वप्रकारेण मद्यं नित्यं विवर्जयेत् / पीत्वा पतति कर्मभ्यस्त्वसंभाष्यो भवेद् द्विजः

Transliteration

tasmāt sarvaprakāreṇa madyaṃ nityaṃ vivarjayet / pītvā patati karmabhyastvasaṃbhāṣyo bhaved dvijaḥ

Translation

فلذلك ينبغي بكل وجهٍ أن يُجتنب المسكر على الدوام. فإذا شربه ذو الولادتين سقط عن واجباته المقررة وصار غير أهلٍ للمخالطة، يُهجر ولا يُخاطَب.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययीभावप्राय प्रयोग; अपादानार्थे (ablatival adverb) — ‘therefore/from that reason’

• सर्व-प्रकारेण: by every means/in every way
• सर्व-प्रकारेण: Karana (करण/Means)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचन-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण — ‘in every way’

• मद्यम्: liquor
• मद्यम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative) — ‘always’

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृज्/√वर्ज् (धातु) + वि- उपसर्ग
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — ‘having drunk’

• पतति: falls (from status)
• पतति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• कर्मभ्यः: from (religious) rites/duties
• कर्मभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• तु: and/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• असंभाष्यः: not fit to be spoken to
• असंभाष्यः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंभाष्य (कृदन्त; √भाष् + सम्- उपसर्ग + अन्- नकार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘not to be spoken to’ (gerundive sense)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• द्विजः: a twice-born man
• द्विजः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Sage (narratorial dharma-instruction within the Kurma Purana discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Dwijas (twice-born)
• Varnashrama Dharma

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: by insisting on purity and self-control, it supports the yogic premise that clarity of mind and sattva are prerequisites for steady knowledge of the Self; intoxication causes a fall from dharma that obstructs inner realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse emphasizes yama/niyama-style discipline—especially abstinence (vairāgya) and purity (śauca). In the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, such restraint is treated as a foundation for higher practice (dhyāna, japa, and devotion) associated with Pāśupata-oriented conduct.

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

It does not name Shiva or Vishnu explicitly; its dharma rule functions as a shared ethical ground across Shaiva and Vaishnava paths in the Kurma Purana, where disciplined conduct is presented as universally necessary for worship and yoga.