Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50

Kapardeśvara at Piśācamocana — Liberation of a Piśāca and the Brahmapāra Hymn

Devanagari script

य इमां शृणुयान्नित्यं कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् / भक्तः पापविशुद्धात्मा रुद्रसामीप्यमाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

ya imāṃ śṛṇuyānnityaṃ kathāṃ pāpapraṇāśinīm / bhaktaḥ pāpaviśuddhātmā rudrasāmīpyamāpnuyāt

Translation

যে ভক্তিভরে প্রতিদিন এই পাপ-নাশিনী পবিত্র কাহিনি শ্রবণ করে, সে পাপশুদ্ধ অন্তঃকরণভক্ত রুদ্র (শিব)-সান্নিধ্য লাভ করে।

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (pronominal adjective), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• śṛṇuyāt: should listen
• śṛṇuyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• kathām: story, discourse
• kathām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• pāpa-praṇāśinīm: sin-destroying
• pāpa-praṇāśinīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇāśinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'of sin' + 'destroying'), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कथाम् इति विशेषण

• bhaktaḥ: devotee
• bhaktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• pāpa-viśuddha-ātmā: one whose soul is purified of sin
• pāpa-viśuddha-ātmā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + viśuddha (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (possessive: 'whose self is purified of sin'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भक्तः इति विशेषण

• rudra-sāmīpyam: nearness to Rudra
• rudra-sāmīpyam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + sāmīpya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive: 'nearness of Rudra'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• āpnuyāt: should attain
• āpnuyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the phala-śruti to the sages (Śaunaka and others), within the Kurma Purana narration framework

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Shiva

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Ātman as capable of purification (pāpa-viśuddha) through sustained śravaṇa and bhakti, implying that spiritual proximity to Rudra is reached by inner transformation rather than mere external ritual.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes śravaṇa (devotional listening) as a daily sādhana that purifies the mind-heart (antaḥkaraṇa-śuddhi), a foundational step that supports higher disciplines associated with Pāśupata-oriented practice and dhyāna.

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

Within the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, the narrative voice (rooted in the Kurma/Vaiṣṇava Purāṇic stream) nonetheless frames the highest fruit as Rudra-sāmīpya, reflecting the text’s Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony where devotion leads to Śiva’s grace without sectarian exclusion.