Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 35

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

Devanagari script

पुलस्त्य उवाच आराध्य तपसा देवं योगिनं परमेष्ठिनम् / प्रव्रजेद् विधिवद् यज्ञैरिष्ट्वा पूर्वं सुरोत्तमान्

Transliteration

pulastya uvāca ārādhya tapasā devaṃ yoginaṃ parameṣṭhinam / pravrajed vidhivad yajñairiṣṭvā pūrvaṃ surottamān

Translation

Pulastya sprach: Nachdem man durch Tapas den göttlichen Höchsten Herrn verehrt hat—Meister der Yogins und erhabener Ordner—und zuvor den vornehmsten Göttern gemäß der Vorschrift Yajñas dargebracht hat, soll man in rechter Weise der Welt entsagen.

Word by Word

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आराध्य: having propitiated
• आराध्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• योगिनम्: the yogin
• योगिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; देवम् इति विशेषणभावेन

• परमेष्ठिनम्: the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• परमेष्ठिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम-स्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयप्रायः (परमे स्थाने तिष्ठति)

• प्रव्रजेत्: should renounce/go forth
• प्रव्रजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• विधिवत्: according to rule
• विधिवत्: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• इष्ट्वा: having sacrificed
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त, अव्ययभाव

• पूर्वम्: first; beforehand
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• सुरोत्तमान्: the best of the gods
• सुरोत्तमान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सुराणाम् उत्तमाः)

Speaker

Pulastya

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Pulastya
• Parameṣṭhin (Supreme Lord)
• Surottama (foremost gods)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling the Lord “parameṣṭhin” and “the supreme yogin,” the verse points to a highest spiritual principle worthy of tapas and inner realization, implying that liberation-oriented renunciation should be grounded in direct spiritual discipline and worship of the Supreme.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Tapas (austerity/discipline) is presented as the key preparatory practice—purifying the practitioner and stabilizing the mind—before undertaking pravrajyā (formal renunciation) in accordance with scriptural procedure.

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

Rather than naming a sectarian deity, it emphasizes worship of the Supreme Lord as the “highest” and “lord of yogins,” aligning with the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance where devotion and yoga culminate in the one supreme reality honored across Shaiva and Vaishnava frameworks.