Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 14

Rules of Food, Acceptance, and Purity for the Twice-Born

Dvija-Śauca and Anna-Doṣa

Devanagari script

पुनर्भुवो विशेषेण तथैव दिधिषूपतेः / अवज्ञातं चावधूतं सरोषं विस्मयान्वितम् / गुरोरपि न भोक्तव्यमन्नं संस्कारवर्जितम्

Transliteration

punarbhuvo viśeṣeṇa tathaiva didhiṣūpateḥ / avajñātaṃ cāvadhūtaṃ saroṣaṃ vismayānvitam / gurorapi na bhoktavyamannaṃ saṃskāravarjitam

Translation

বিশেষকৈ পুনৰ্ভূ (পুনৰ্বিবাহিতা) নাৰীৰ অন্ন, আৰু দিধিষূপতি (তেওঁৰ স্বামী)ৰ অন্ন ভক্ষণ কৰা উচিত নহয়। অবজ্ঞাৰে দিয়া, পেলাই দিয়া, ক্ৰোধেৰে দিয়া, বা অনুচিত বিস্ময়-ভাবসহ দিয়া অন্নো ভক্ষণীয় নহয়। গুৰুৰ অন্নো যদি যথাযথ সংস্কাৰবিহীন হয়, তেন্তে খোৱা উচিত নহয়।

Word by Word

• पुनर्भुवः: of a remarried woman (punarbhū)
• पुनर्भुवः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनर्भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial instrumental)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: अवधारण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• दिधिषूपतेः: of the husband of a didhiṣū (a woman desiring a second husband)
• दिधिषूपतेः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिधिषू + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिधिषोः पति:)

• अवज्ञातम्: disrespected
• अवज्ञातम्: विशेषण (of अन्नम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-√ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → अवज्ञात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle): ‘despised/insulted’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• अवधूतम्: cast off/defiled
• अवधूतम्: विशेषण (of अन्नम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव-√धू (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → अवधूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘thrown away/defiled’

• सरोषम्: with anger
• सरोषम्: विशेषण (of अन्नम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + रोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्गसदृश-समासभावः (with anger)

• विस्मयान्वितम्: accompanied by astonishment/strangeness
• विस्मयान्वितम्: विशेषण (of अन्नम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्मय + अन्वित (कृदन्त, √इ/अन्वि + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विस्मयेन अन्वितम्)

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: सम्बन्धसूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• न: not
• न: निषेध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• भोक्तव्यम्: should be eaten
• भोक्तव्यम्: विधेय/कर्मणि-भाव (predicative obligation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय: ‘should be eaten’ (with न = ‘should not be eaten’)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: कर्म (object of ‘to eat’ in passive obligation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• संस्कारवर्जितम्: devoid of proper purification/rites
• संस्कारवर्जितम्: विशेषण (of अन्नम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संस्कार + वर्जित (कृदन्त, √वृज्/वर्ज् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (संस्कारैः वर्जितम् = devoid of rites/purification)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing in dharma-śāstra mode (purity and conduct)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu)
• Guru
• Punarbhū
• Didhiṣūpati

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it frames spiritual life as grounded in śauca (purity) and saṃskāra (sanctifying discipline). Such regulation steadies the mind and supports inner clarity, which the Purāṇa treats as a prerequisite for realizing the Self beyond ritual and emotion.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse emphasizes preparatory yogic discipline rather than a technique: controlling intake (āhāra-śuddhi), avoiding food given in hostile or unstable mental states, and insisting on saṃskāra. In Kurma Purana’s broader teaching, such restraints function like yama/niyama supports for higher meditation and devotion.

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

By presenting dharma as a shared, non-sectarian foundation: purity, saṃskāra, and right conduct are upheld as universal supports for devotion and yoga, consistent with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where the same dharma undergirds worship of both Śiva and Viṣṇu.