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Shloka 33

Sūrya-vaṃśa Genealogy and the Supremacy of Tapas: Gāyatrī-Japa, Rudra-Darśana, and Śatarudrīya Upadeśa

वसुमना उवाच किंस्विच्छेयस्करतरं लोके ऽस्मिन् ब्राह्मणर्षभाः / यज्ञस्तपो वा संन्यासो ब्रूत मे सर्ववेदिनः

vasumanā uvāca kiṃsviccheyaskarataraṃ loke 'smin brāhmaṇarṣabhāḥ / yajñastapo vā saṃnyāso brūta me sarvavedinaḥ

Vasumanā sprach: „O Beste der Brahmanen, was fördert in dieser Welt das höchste Heil mehr—das Opferverehrungswerk (yajña), die Askese (tapas) oder die Entsagung (saṃnyāsa)? Sagt es mir, ihr Allwissenden.“

वसुमनाVasumanas
वसुमना:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootवसुमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
किम्what
किम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)
स्वित्indeed/possibly (question particle)
स्वित्:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वित् (अव्यय)
Formप्रश्न-निपात (interrogative particle)
श्रेयस्करतरम्more beneficial
श्रेयस्करतरम्:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रेयस्+कर+तर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (श्रेयः करोति इति श्रेयस्करः) + तर-प्रत्यय (comparative ‘more’)
लोकेin the world
लोके:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
अस्मिन्in this
अस्मिन्:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
ब्राह्मणर्षभाःO bulls among Brahmins
ब्राह्मणर्षभाः:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण+ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (ब्राह्मणाः एव ऋषभाः)
यज्ञःsacrifice
यज्ञः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
तपःausterity
तपः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प (disjunctive particle)
संन्यासःrenunciation
संन्यासः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसंन्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
ब्रूतtell (you all)
ब्रूत:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootब्रू (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
मेto me
मे:
Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचनरूप (Gen/Dat sg enclitic); here चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) ‘to me’
सर्ववेदिनःO all-knowing ones
सर्ववेदिनः:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व+वेदिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वं वेदन्ति इति)

Vasumanā

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

V
Vasumanā
B
Brāhmaṇa-ṛṣis (sages)

FAQs

This verse does not define Ātman directly; it frames a dharmic inquiry into śreyas (the highest good), setting up later teaching where inner discipline (tapas/saṁnyāsa) and right action (yajña) are evaluated as means toward liberation-oriented wisdom.

No specific Yoga technique is named, but “tapas” and “saṁnyāsa” point to yogic disciplines—self-restraint, austerity, and renunciant focus—often treated in the Kurma Purana as supports for inner purification that culminate in devotion and knowledge.

The verse itself is neutral and interrogative; by asking about yajña, tapas, and saṁnyāsa, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where both ritual devotion and ascetic-yogic paths are integrated under a single pursuit of śreyas.