Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

वेदवेदान्तविज्ञानसंछिन्नाशेषसंशयान् / महायज्ञपरान् विप्रान् दूरतः परिवर्जय

Transliteration

vedavedāntavijñānasaṃchinnāśeṣasaṃśayān / mahāyajñaparān viprān dūrataḥ parivarjaya

Translation

Halte dich fern von jenen Brahmanen, die Veda und Vedānta kennen und deren Zweifel durch Gelehrsamkeit scheinbar zerschnitten sind, die sich jedoch vor allem den großen Opferriten (mahā-yajña) hingeben.

Word by Word

• वेदवेदान्तविज्ञानसंछिन्नाशेषसंशयान्: those whose all doubts are cut off by knowledge of Veda and Vedānta
• वेदवेदान्तविज्ञानसंछिन्नाशेषसंशयान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + वेदान्त + विज्ञान + संछिन्न + अशेष + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः: (वेद-वेदान्त-विज्ञानेन संछिन्नाः अशेषाः संशयाः येषां ते) — अर्थतः बहुव्रीहिवत् विशेषणप्रयोगः

• महायज्ञपरान्: devoted to great sacrifices
• महायज्ञपरान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महायज्ञ + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (महायज्ञे पराः/निष्ठाः)

• विप्रान्: brāhmaṇas
• विप्रान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• परिवर्जय: avoid/shun
• परिवर्जय: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (dialogue setting of the Purva-bhaga)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Vedanta
• Vipra (Brahmin)
• Maha-yajna

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By contrasting Vedānta-based doubt-destroying knowledge with mere ritual devotion, the verse implies that liberation-oriented insight (which points to the Self beyond action) is distinct from external sacrificial performance.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Indirectly, it supports a yoga of inwardness—prioritizing jñāna, vairāgya (dispassion), and disciplined association (satsaṅga) over absorption in elaborate rites, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s liberation-focused spiritual discipline.

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

While not naming Shiva directly, the verse reflects the Purana’s shared Shaiva-Vaishnava emphasis that inner realization and liberation-oriented practice surpass mere ritualism—an outlook common to both Pāśupata-leaning yoga and Vaiṣṇava Vedānta.