Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 69

Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct

Devanagari script

स्वाध्यायं श्रावयेदेषां धर्मशास्त्राणि चैव हि / इतिहासपुराणानि श्राद्धकल्पांश्च शोभनान्

Transliteration

svādhyāyaṃ śrāvayedeṣāṃ dharmaśāstrāṇi caiva hi / itihāsapurāṇāni śrāddhakalpāṃśca śobhanān

Translation

এদের জন্য স্বাধ্যায় শ্রবণ করানো উচিত; ধর্মশাস্ত্রসমূহও, ইতিহাস-পুরাণ এবং শ্রাদ্ধবিধি-সম্পর্কিত উৎকৃষ্ট কল্পগ্রন্থও পাঠ করানো উচিত।

Word by Word

• svādhyāyam: Vedic recitation/study
• svādhyāyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svādhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śrāvayet: should recite (to them)
• śrāvayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative) ‘cause to hear/recite to’

• eṣām: of these (persons)
• eṣām: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• dharmaśāstrāṇi: treatises on dharma
• dharmaśāstrāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘धर्मस्य शास्त्राणि’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (for/indeed)

• itihāsapurāṇāni: epics and purāṇas
• itihāsapurāṇāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: itihāsa + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; इतिहासनां च पुराणानां च समाहार-द्वन्द्व

• śrāddhakalpān: rules/procedures of śrāddha
• śrāddhakalpān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘श्राद्धस्य कल्पाः’ (procedures)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• śobhanān: auspicious/beautiful
• śobhanān: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śobhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying śrāddhakalpān)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing within a dharma/śrāddha-vidhi discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Svādhyāya
• Dharmaśāstra
• Itihāsa
• Purāṇa
• Śrāddha

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes śravaṇa (hearing) and svādhyāya (sacred study) of authoritative texts, a key dharmic means by which right knowledge that culminates in Self-understanding is cultivated.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The practice highlighted is scriptural śravaṇa/svādhyāya—disciplines allied to jñāna-yoga and bhakti—where hearing Dharmaśāstra, Itihāsa, and Purāṇa is treated as spiritually purifying and merit-generating within ritual life.

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

It does so implicitly through the Kurma Purana’s integrative dharma framework: scriptural recitation (Purāṇa/Itihāsa/Dharmaśāstra) is upheld as a common sacred authority across Shaiva and Vaishnava practice, supporting a harmonized tradition rather than sectarian separation.