Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

Genealogies of Yadus and Vṛṣṇis; Navaratha’s Refuge to Sarasvatī; Rise of Sāttvata Tradition; Prelude to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Incarnation

Devanagari script

स नारदस्य वचनाद् वासुदेवार्चनान्वितम् / शास्त्रं प्रवर्तयामास कुण्डगोलादिभिः श्रुतम्

Transliteration

sa nāradasya vacanād vāsudevārcanānvitam / śāstraṃ pravartayāmāsa kuṇḍagolādibhiḥ śrutam

Translation

Auf Nāradas Weisung hin setzte er ein heiliges Śāstra in Gang, erfüllt von der Verehrung Vāsudevas—so, wie er es von Lehrern wie Kuṇḍagola und anderen gehört hatte.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नारदस्य: of Nārada
• नारदस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वचनात्: from (the) word/instruction
• वचनात्: हेतु/निमित्त (cause/source; Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• वासुदेवार्चनान्वितम्: endowed with worship of Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवार्चनान्वितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासुदेव-अर्चन-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying शास्त्रम्); समास: वासुदेवस्य अर्चनम् + तेन अन्वितम्

• शास्त्रम्: treatise/teaching
• शास्त्रम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रवर्तयामास: set forth/propagated
• प्रवर्तयामास: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु) causative √वर्तय्
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) भाव: ‘set in motion/propagated’

• कुण्डगोलादिभिः: by (teachers) such as Kuṇḍagola and others
• कुण्डगोलादिभिः: करण (Instrument/agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डगोल-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; (कुण्डगोलः + आदि)

• श्रुतम्: heard/learned (i.e., received by tradition)
• श्रुतम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; शास्त्रम् इति विशेषण

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (describing the establishment of a Vāsudeva-arcana tradition on Nārada’s counsel)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vāsudeva
• Kuṇḍagola

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By centering the śāstra on Vāsudeva-arcana, the verse implies that realization is supported by disciplined worship of the Supreme Lord, where devotion becomes a means to approach the inner Self (ātman) through the Lord as the indwelling reality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds arcana (ritual worship) as a regulated sādhana: a yoga of devotion and discipline taught as śāstra, transmitted through teachers, and practiced as a structured path (upāsanā) rather than mere sentiment.

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

Although Vishnu (Vāsudeva) is explicitly named, the Purāṇic frame supports synthesis: authoritative śāstra and disciplined worship function as shared ground where sectarian boundaries soften, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony.