Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 20

Saṃnyāsa-dharma — Qualifications, Threefold Renunciation, and the Conduct of the Yati

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचर्यरतो नित्यं वनवासरतो भवेत् / मोक्षशास्त्रेषु निरतो ब्रह्मसूत्री जितेन्द्रियः

Transliteration

brahmacaryarato nityaṃ vanavāsarato bhavet / mokṣaśāstreṣu nirato brahmasūtrī jitendriyaḥ

Translation

وليكن دائمًا ملازمًا للبراهماتشاريا (انضباط العفّة) ميّالًا إلى سكنى الغابة؛ منغمسًا في شاسترات الخلاص، لابسًا الخيط المقدّس (براهمسوترا)، وقد قهر الحواس.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचर्य-रतः: devoted to celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्य-रतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम्/√रञ्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; कृदन्त-निष्ठा (क्त), विशेषण—‘ब्रह्मचर्ये रतः’ (devoted to celibacy)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• वनवास-रतः: devoted to living in the forest
• वनवास-रतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वनवास (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम्/√रञ्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; ‘वनवासे रतः’ (devoted to forest-dwelling)

• भवेत्: should be/become
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should be/become’

• मोक्ष-शास्त्रेषु: in liberation-texts
• मोक्ष-शास्त्रेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘मोक्षस्य शास्त्राणि’ (treatises on liberation)

• निरतः: engaged/absorbed
• निरतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-रत (कृदन्त; √रम्/√रञ्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; कृदन्त-निष्ठा (क्त), विशेषण—‘engaged/absorbed’

• ब्रह्मसूत्री: wearing the brahma-thread
• ब्रह्मसूत्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मसूत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘ब्रह्मणः सूत्रम्’/‘ब्रह्मसूत्रं धारयति’ (wearer of the brahma-thread)

• जित-इन्द्रियः: self-controlled (senses conquered)
• जित-इन्द्रियः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित (कृदन्त; √जि जय) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि—‘जितानि इन्द्रियाणि यस्य’ (one whose senses are conquered)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the seeker in dharma and moksha-oriented discipline

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Vishnu
• Moksha-shastra
• Brahmacarya
• Varnashrama Dharma

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By emphasizing sense-conquest, brahmacarya, and absorption in moksha-shastras, the verse points to inward purification as the prerequisite for realizing the Atman beyond sensory restlessness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights foundational yogic restraints (indriya-jaya, brahmacarya) and a renunciate-friendly lifestyle (forest-dwelling), supporting sustained study and contemplation of liberation teachings—key preparatory limbs for higher meditation in Kurma Purana’s moksha framework.

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

Though not naming Shiva directly, the verse fits the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: Vishnu (as Kurma) teaches a discipline that aligns with Shaiva-Pashupata austerity and Vedic orthopraxy, presenting liberation as a shared goal across sectarian forms.