Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 55

Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation

Devanagari script

यत्र योगस्तथा ज्ञानं मुक्तिरेकेन जन्मना / अविमुक्तं समासाद्य नान्यद् गच्छेत् तपोवनम्

Transliteration

yatra yogastathā jñānaṃ muktirekena janmanā / avimuktaṃ samāsādya nānyad gacchet tapovanam

Translation

Wo Yoga und befreiende Erkenntnis sind, da ist Erlösung in einem einzigen Leben. Hat man Avimukta (Kāśī) erreicht, soll man zu keinem anderen Wald der Askese gehen.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-स्थानवाचक (relative adverb: where)

• योगः: yoga
• योगः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• तथा: and likewise
• तथा: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थक (adverb: likewise/and also)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• एकेन: by one
• एकेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular (measure)

• जन्मना: by (a) birth
• जन्मना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• अविमुक्तम्: Avimukta (sacred place)
• अविमुक्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (place-name)

• समासाद्य: having reached
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having approached/attained

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular used pronominally: ‘anything else’

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/आज्ञा), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3rd sg.: ‘should go’

• तपोवनम्: forest of austerities (hermitage)
• तपोवनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular; समास: तपसः वनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in a tīrtha-māhātmya context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta (Kashi)
• Yoga
• Jnana
• Mukti

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that mokṣa is attained through the union of yoga (inner discipline) and jñāna (liberating insight), pointing to realization rather than mere ritual travel—awakening to the Self as the ground of freedom.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds yoga as a sādhanā paired with jñāna—suggesting sustained practice (restraint, contemplation, and inner absorption) culminating in liberating knowledge, a hallmark of the Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented teaching.

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

By exalting Avimukta (a Śaiva tīrtha) while spoken within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa voice (Kurma/Vishnu), it models the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the same mokṣa is affirmed through shared yoga-jñāna principles across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava frames.