Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

केचिद् ध्यानं प्रशंसन्ति धर्ममेवापरे जनाः / अन्ये सांख्यं तथा योगं तपस्त्वन्ये महर्षयः

Transliteration

kecid dhyānaṃ praśaṃsanti dharmamevāpare janāḥ / anye sāṃkhyaṃ tathā yogaṃ tapastvanye maharṣayaḥ

Translation

Einige preisen die Meditation; andere unter den Menschen rühmen allein das Dharma. Wieder andere empfehlen Sāṅkhya und Yoga, während andere große Seher die Askese (tapas) hochhalten.

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क-चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• ध्यानम्: meditation
• ध्यानम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रशंसन्ति: praise
• प्रशंसन्ति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• धर्मम्: dharma; righteousness
• धर्मम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic/only)

• अपरे: others
• अपरे: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘others’

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; apposition to अपरे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• सांख्यम्: Sāṃkhya (philosophy)
• सांख्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: and; likewise
• तथा: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/उपमानार्थ (and/likewise)

• योगम्: Yoga
• योगम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; अस्-प्रातिपदिक

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; apposition to अन्ये)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक; महा+ऋषि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः ‘महान् ऋषिः’ (here treated as तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

Speaker

Narrator/Compiler (traditional Purana voice, conveying the teaching context of the Kurma Purana)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sankhya
• Yoga
• Tapas
• Dharma
• Dhyana

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It does so indirectly: by listing multiple sādhanas (dhyāna, dharma, sāṅkhya, yoga, tapas), the verse implies that realization of the highest truth is approached through different disciplines suited to different temperaments.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse explicitly highlights dhyāna (meditation) and yoga (disciplined practice), while also recognizing sāṅkhya (discriminative insight) and tapas (austerity) as complementary means of inner purification and steadiness.

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

This verse does not name Śiva or Viṣṇu directly; its non-sectarian catalog of valid paths reflects the Kurma Purana’s broader synthetic spirit, where diverse disciplines can converge toward one supreme realization.