Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 130

Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga

Devanagari script

भवन्तः केवलं योगं समाश्रित्य विमुक्तये / विहाय सांख्यं विमलमकुर्वन्त परिश्रमम्

Transliteration

bhavantaḥ kevalaṃ yogaṃ samāśritya vimuktaye / vihāya sāṃkhyaṃ vimalamakurvanta pariśramam

Translation

لقد اعتمدتم على اليوغا وحدها طلباً للتحرر؛ وبترككم السانكْهيا الطاهرة التي لا دنس فيها، لم تقوموا إلا بعناءٍ لا طائل منه.

Word by Word

• भवन्तः: you (all)
• भवन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; आदरार्थक-सम्बोधन/प्रयोग ‘you (respected)’

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; योगम् इति विशेषण

• योगम्: Yoga
• योगम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाश्रित्य: having resorted to
• समाश्रित्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• विमुक्तये: for liberation
• विमुक्तये: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (dative), एकवचन

• विहाय: having abandoned
• विहाय: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वि + हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive)

• सांख्यम्: Sāṅkhya
• सांख्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विमलम्: pure
• विमलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सांख्यम् इति विशेषण

• अकुर्वन्त: (you) did (not) do
• अकुर्वन्त: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; नकारार्थे ‘न’ अध्याहार्य (contextual negation)

• परिश्रमम्: effort; exertion
• परिश्रमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/seekers in a synthesizing teaching of Sāṃkhya and Yoga

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Yoga
• Sāṃkhya
• Vimukti (Liberation)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that liberation requires Sāṃkhya-style discrimination (viveka) between Self and non-Self; Yoga without this clarity becomes mere effort rather than direct realization of the Self’s distinctness from prakṛti.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse cautions against practicing Yoga in isolation; it points to a Kurma Purana approach where meditative discipline (yoga) must be guided by tattva-vicāra (Sāṃkhya inquiry) so concentration culminates in liberating knowledge rather than strain.

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

By endorsing a combined path of knowledge and disciplined practice—typical of the Kurma Purana’s synthesis—it reflects a non-sectarian, integrative framework often used to harmonize Shaiva (Pāśupata-oriented praxis) and Vaishnava (Nārāyaṇa/Kūrma as teacher) soteriology.