Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

Tāmasa Sarga, the Androgynous Division of Brahmā, and the Lineages of Dharma and Adharma

Devanagari script

पत्न्यर्थं प्रतिजग्राह धर्मो दाक्षायणीः शुभाः / ताभ्यः शिष्टा यवीयस्य एकादश सुलोचनाः

Transliteration

patnyarthaṃ pratijagrāha dharmo dākṣāyaṇīḥ śubhāḥ / tābhyaḥ śiṣṭā yavīyasya ekādaśa sulocanāḥ

Translation

পত্নীৰ অৰ্থে ধৰ্মে দক্ষৰ শুভ কন্যাসকল (দাক্ষায়ণী) গ্ৰহণ কৰিলে; আৰু তেওঁলোকৰ পৰা কনিষ্ঠ পৰম্পৰাত একাদশ শিষ্ট, সুলোচনা কন্যা জন্মিল।

Word by Word

• पत्नी-अर्थम्: for the purpose of a wife
• पत्नी-अर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'पत्नी-सम्बन्धि अर्थः'

• प्रतिजग्राह: accepted, took (in marriage)
• प्रतिजग्राह: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्रति-

• धर्मः: Dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दाक्षायणीः: the daughters of Dakṣa (Dākṣāyaṇīs)
• दाक्षायणीः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• शुभाः: auspicious, fair
• शुभाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दाक्षायणीः)

• ताभ्यः: from them
• ताभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Ablative/Genitive), बहुवचन; 'from them/of them'

• शिष्टाः: the remaining (ones)
• शिष्टाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √शास्-निष्पन्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'remaining/left over' (qualifying understood 'daughters')

• यवीयस्य: of the younger (brother)
• यवीयस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यवीयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative): 'of the younger (brother)'

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; here used as संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective) with feminine plural

• सुलोचनाः: the fair-eyed (women)
• सुलोचनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-लोचना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'सु (good) + लोचना (eyed)'

Speaker

Suta (traditional Purana narrator) describing the Daksha–Dharma lineage

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Daksha
• Dākṣāyaṇīs (daughters of Daksha)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse does not directly teach Ātman-doctrine; it frames Dharma as a cosmic principle expressed through orderly lineage, a Purāṇic way of showing how universal order (dharma) manifests in the world.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse; it serves the Purāṇic cosmological setup that later supports dharma-based disciplines (yama/niyama, varṇāśrama duties) emphasized elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.

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

This verse is genealogical and does not mention Śiva–Viṣṇu directly; indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic synthesis by grounding spiritual teaching in dharma and cosmic order, a shared framework across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava sections of the text.