Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 84

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

Devanagari script

एवं मृताह्नि कर्तव्यं प्रतिमासं तु वत्सरम् / सपिण्डीकरणं प्रोक्तं पूर्णे संवत्सरे पुनः

Transliteration

evaṃ mṛtāhni kartavyaṃ pratimāsaṃ tu vatsaram / sapiṇḍīkaraṇaṃ proktaṃ pūrṇe saṃvatsare punaḥ

Translation

وهكذا، في ذكرى الوفاة (mṛtāhni) تُؤدَّى هذه الشعائر كلَّ شهرٍ طوال سنةٍ كاملة. ثم إذا اكتملت السنة تمامًا، شُرِع من جديد طقس السَّپِنْديكَرَنا (sapiṇḍīkaraṇa) لضمّ الراحل إلى سِلْسلة الأسلاف (الپِتْر).

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: क्रियाविशेषण (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus)

• मृत-अहनि: on the death-day (death anniversary day)
• मृत-अहनि: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ + क्त) + अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (मृतः अहः/मृतस्य अहः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• कर्तव्यम्: should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: विधेय (कर्तव्यता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रतिमासम्: every month
• प्रतिमासम्: कालाधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (प्रति मासम्), अव्यय; कालवाचक (every month)

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात

• वत्सरम्: for a year
• वत्सरम्: कालावधि (अधिकरण/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालपरिमाण

• सपिण्डीकरणम्: the sapiṇḍīkaraṇa rite (making into one piṇḍa with ancestors)
• सपिण्डीकरणम्: कर्म/विधेय (नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (अव्यय) + पिण्डीकरण (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + ल्युट्)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (सह पिण्डीकरणम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: विधेय (प्रकथन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पूर्णे: when completed
• पूर्णे: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक; √पॄ + क्त)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संवत्सरे)

• संवत्सरे: in the year
• संवत्सरे: अधिकरण (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• पुनः: again/thereafter
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक (again)

Speaker

Traditional narrator (Purāṇic discourse) teaching śrāddha-dharma; commonly framed as Sūta/authoritative speaker relaying the Kurma Purana’s injunctions

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Sapiṇḍīkaraṇa
• Śrāddha
• Pitṛs (ancestors)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes dharma through pitṛ-kriyā (ancestral rites), showing that spiritual life in the Kurma Purana integrates inner realization with obligatory duties; honoring lineage and order supports sattva and steadiness conducive to Atman-knowledge.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No direct yogic technique is taught in this verse; it highlights disciplined observance (niyama-like regularity) through monthly rites for a year, a dharmic framework that the Kurma Purana often pairs with later teachings on devotion and yogic steadiness.

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

It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; however, in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such śrāddha injunctions are treated as universally dharmic—supported by the one divine order (Īśvara) regardless of sectarian form.