Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8

Viṣṇu at Upamanyu’s Āśrama: Pāśupata Tapas, Darśana of Śiva, and Boons from Devī

Devanagari script

वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नैः सेवितं चाग्निहोत्रिभिः / योगिभिर्ध्याननिरतैर्नासाग्रगतलोचनैः

Transliteration

vedādhyayanasaṃpannaiḥ sevitaṃ cāgnihotribhiḥ / yogibhirdhyānaniratairnāsāgragatalocanaiḥ

Translation

Dorthin kommen die im Vedenstudium Vollendeten und die Agnihotra-Opfernden; ebenso Yogins, die in Meditation verweilen und den Blick auf die Nasenspitze gerichtet halten.

Word by Word

• वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नैः: by those endowed with Vedic study
• वेदाध्ययनसंपन्नैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद-अध्ययन-संपन्न (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + अध्ययन + संपन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (करण) बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural masculine; विशेषणम्

• सेवितम्: served
• सेवितम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; past passive participle ‘served’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• अग्निहोत्रिभिः: by Agnihotra-performers
• अग्निहोत्रिभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural masculine

• योगिभिः: by yogis
• योगिभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural masculine

• ध्याननिरतैः: by those devoted to meditation
• ध्याननिरतैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्यान-निरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural masculine; विशेषणम्

• नासाग्रगतलोचनैः: by those whose eyes are fixed on the tip of the nose
• नासाग्रगतलोचनैः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नासा-अग्र-गत-लोचन (प्रातिपदिक; नासा + अग्र + गत + लोचन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; instrumental plural masculine; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the Kurma Purana’s description of a holy place (told in the Kurma-Purana dialogue tradition, ultimately attributed to Lord Kurma’s teaching stream)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Agnihotra
• Yoga
• Dhyana

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it presents the disciplined environment—Vedic learning, sacrificial steadiness, and meditative absorption—through which inner realization of the Self is approached, aligning ritual purity with yogic interiorization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights dhyāna-niyama (steadfast meditation) and nāsāgra-dṛṣṭi (fixing the gaze at the nose-tip), a classic concentration aid used to steady prāṇa and mind—compatible with the Kurma Purana’s emphasis on integrating karma (Agnihotra) with yoga.

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

By pairing Vedic sacrificial orthopraxy with yogic contemplation, it reflects the Purana’s synthetic approach where devotion and discipline transcend sectarian boundaries—ritual and yoga function as complementary paths under the one Supreme Lord.