Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 44

Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī

Devanagari script

पुष्पं वा यदि वा पत्रं यत्पादयुगले जलम् / दत्त्वा तरति संसारं रुद्रो ऽसौ दृश्यते किल

Transliteration

puṣpaṃ vā yadi vā patraṃ yatpādayugale jalam / dattvā tarati saṃsāraṃ rudro 'sau dṛśyate kila

Translation

سواءٌ كانت زهرةً أو حتى ورقةً—فبإهداءِ الماءِ إلى قدميه الاثنتين يعبرُ المرءُ السَّمسارا؛ وحقًّا، بنعمةِ شيفا يُرى أنّه ينالُ طبيعةَ رُدرا.

Word by Word

• पुष्पम्: a flower
• पुष्पम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• यदि: if
• यदि: सम्बन्ध (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional: if)

• वा: or
• वा: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• पत्रम्: a leaf
• पत्रम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: in which/where
• यत्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• पाद-युगले: at the pair of (his) feet
• पाद-युगले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युगल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पादयोः युगलम् = pair of feet)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having offered
• दत्त्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), ‘having given/offered’

• तरति: crosses
• तरति: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• संसारम्: worldly existence
• संसारम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (appears)

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (indeed/it is said)

Speaker

Lord Śiva (Rudra) teaching a bhakti-yoga principle within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Pāda-yugala (the Lord’s feet)
• Saṃsāra

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that liberation is accessed through surrender at the Lord’s feet: the finite self, purified by devotion and grace, transcends saṃsāra and realizes a divine state described here as “becoming Rudra,” i.e., attaining identity in qualities with the Supreme.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A bhakti-based sādhana aligned with Pāśupata ethos: pāda-sevā (reverent service at the Lord’s feet) through minimal offerings (flower/leaf/water), emphasizing inner devotion over elaborate ritual as a direct means to cross saṃsāra.

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

By presenting liberation as “Rudra-attainment” through worship at the Lord’s feet, it reflects the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the Supreme is approached through devotion, and the realized fruit is expressed in Śaiva language (Rudrahood) without denying the underlying unity of Hari and Hara.