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Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 55

Aśauca-vidhi — Rules of Birth/Death Impurity, Sapinda Circles, and Śrāddha Sequence

Devanagari script

अनस्थिसंचिते शूद्रे रौति चेद् ब्राह्मणः स्वकैः / त्रिरात्रं स्यात् तथाशौचमेकाहं त्वन्यथा स्मृतम्

Transliteration

anasthisaṃcite śūdre rauti ced brāhmaṇaḥ svakaiḥ / trirātraṃ syāt tathāśaucamekāhaṃ tvanyathā smṛtam

Translation

إذا قامَ براهمنٌ، مع أقاربه، بندبةِ البكاء على شودرا لم تُجمع بقاياه ولم تُلتقط عظامه، فإنّ أَشَوْتْشا (āśauca) عليه تُذكرُ أنها ثلاثُ ليالٍ؛ وإلا فالمحفوظُ أنها يومٌ واحد.

Word by Word
अनस्थिसंचितेin a Shudra (corpse) without bones / bonelessly collected
अनस्थिसंचिते:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअन् + अस्थि + संचित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘अस्थि-रहित-संचित’ (अन्-नञ् + अस्थि + संचित) इति तत्पुरुष; विशेषणम् (शूद्रे)
शूद्रेin the case of a Shudra
शूद्रे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
रौतिweeps
रौति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootरु (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: ‘weeps/cries’
चेत्if
चेत्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचेत् (अव्यय)
Formशर्त-अव्यय (if)
ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin
ब्राह्मणः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
स्वकैःwith his own (people/relatives)
स्वकैः:
Sahakari (सहकारी/सह)
TypeNoun
Rootस्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण), बहुवचन; ‘स्वकीयैः (जनैः)’ इत्यर्थे
त्रिरात्रम्three nights
त्रिरात्रम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootत्रि + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीन रात्रयः’ इति तत्पुरुष
स्यात्should be
स्यात्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअस् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
तथाthus
तथा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)
अशौचम्impurity (period)
अशौचम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootअशौच (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
एकाहम्one day
एकाहम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootएक + अह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘एक दिन’ इति तत्पुरुष
तुbut
तु:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formविरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (but)
अन्यथाotherwise
अन्यथा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअन्यथा (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (otherwise)
स्मृतम्is stated/remembered
स्मृतम्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘is remembered/declared (in smṛti)’
Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities
B
Brāhmaṇa
Ś
Śūdra
Ā
Āśauca

FAQs

This verse does not directly teach ātma-tattva; it lays down dharma-śāstra guidance on āśauca, showing how embodied social-religious duties are regulated even while higher spiritual teachings elsewhere (e.g., the Ishvara Gita) point beyond ritual conditions.

No yogic technique is taught in this verse; it belongs to the Kurma Purana’s dharma section, emphasizing disciplined conduct (niyama-like social restraint) that traditionally supports a sādhaka’s steadiness and eligibility for mantra, worship, and later yoga instruction.

The verse is procedural rather than theological; within the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such dharma rules are presented by Lord Kūrma as a universal framework, while the text elsewhere integrates devotion and liberation teachings associated with both Shiva (Pāśupata) and Vishnu.

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