Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 21

Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct

Devanagari script

तैलमभ्यञ्जनं स्नानं स्नानीयं च पृथग्विधम् / पात्रैरौदुम्बरैर्दद्याद् वैश्वदैवत्यपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

tailamabhyañjanaṃ snānaṃ snānīyaṃ ca pṛthagvidham / pātrairaudumbarairdadyād vaiśvadaivatyapūrvakam

Translation

ينبغي أن يُقدَّم زيتُ الدهن، والاغتسالُ نفسه، ولوازمُ الاغتسال المتنوّعة كلٌّ على حدة؛ وتُعطى في أوعيةٍ من خشب الأودومبارا، بعد أن يُستهلّ ذلك بطقسِ فايشفاديفا (قرابين للآلهة الكونية).

Word by Word

• तैलम्: oil
• तैलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• अभ्यञ्जनम्: anointing (with oil)
• अभ्यञ्जनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नानीयम्: bathing-water / what is to be used for bathing
• स्नानीयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नानीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय/योग्य (fit for bathing)

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

• पृथक्-विधम्: of different kinds, separately arranged
• पृथक्-विधम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying the items)

• पात्रैः: with vessels
• पात्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• औदुम्बरैः: made of udumbara wood
• औदुम्बरैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औदुम्बर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying पात्रैः)

• दद्याद्: should give/offer
• दद्याद्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वैश्वदैवत्य-पूर्वकम्: beginning with the Vaiśvadeva offering
• वैश्वदैवत्य-पूर्वकम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैश्वदैवत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (implicit: वैश्वदैवत्येन पूर्वकम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (adverbially qualifying दद्याद्)

Speaker

Traditional narration (Purāṇic instruction conveyed through the sages’ discourse; framed within Kurma Purana’s dharma-teachings)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva
• Udumbara

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it teaches that inner purity is supported by disciplined outer purification and offerings; such ordered dharma prepares the mind for Self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna) emphasized elsewhere in the Kurma Purana’s integrated Shaiva–Vaishnava teaching.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Not a meditation technique directly, but a preparatory limb: bodily purification (snāna) and devotional offering (Vaiśvadeva) cultivate sattva, steadiness, and ritual mindfulness—supportive foundations for the Kurma Purana’s broader Yoga-shastra and Pāśupata-oriented discipline.

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

Through Vaiśvadeva it points to worship of the ‘universal deities’ rather than a narrow sectarian focus, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic vision where devotion and purity rites harmonize across Shaiva–Vaishnava frameworks.