Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 137

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

Devanagari script

बहूनि साधनानीह सिद्धये कथितानि तु / तेषामभ्यधिकं ज्ञानं मामकं द्विजपुङ्गवाः

Transliteration

bahūni sādhanānīha siddhaye kathitāni tu / teṣāmabhyadhikaṃ jñānaṃ māmakaṃ dvijapuṅgavāḥ

Translation

لقد ذُكرت هنا وسائلُ عبادةٍ كثيرة (سادهانا) لبلوغ السِّدهي. ولكن، يا خيرَ ذوي الولادتين، فإن الأسمى منها جميعًا هو العلم الذي هو لي—حكمةُ الربّ نفسه.

Word by Word

• बहूनि: many
• बहूनि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• साधनानि: means, practices
• साधनानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• सिद्धये: for attainment
• सिद्धये: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानार्थ (for the sake of)

• कथितानि: have been stated
• कथितानि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ्) + ita (क्त) → kathita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; contrast/emphasis

• तेषाम्: of those
• तेषाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive)

• अभ्यधिकम्: greater, superior
• अभ्यधिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhyadhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (comparative sense: superior)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• मामकम्: pertaining to me
• मामकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (possessive: ‘mine/pertaining to me’)

• द्विजपुङ्गवाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजपुङ्गवाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + puṅgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (dvijānāṃ puṅgavāḥ) संबोधनार्थे प्रयुक्त (vocative sense by context)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing the sages (dvijas)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Dvijas (twice-born sages)
• Jñāna
• Sādhana
• Siddhi

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By ranking “the Lord’s own knowledge” above other sādhanas, the verse implies that realization-oriented wisdom—knowledge that reveals the Self’s true relation to the Supreme—is the decisive means for the highest attainment.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse does not list specific techniques; it frames all practices (karma, vrata, tapas, dhyāna, etc.) as supportive, while asserting that liberating jñāna—right understanding bestowed/affirmed by the Lord—is the highest among them for true siddhi.

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

While not naming Śiva explicitly, the teaching reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesizing stance: the highest liberating principle is divine jñāna (īśvara-jñāna), a shared theological center that harmonizes Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths through a single supreme wisdom.