Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8

Varnāśrama-Krama, Vairāgya as the Ground of Saṃnyāsa, and Brahmārpaṇa Karma-yoga

Devanagari script

वानप्रस्थाश्रमं गत्वा न गृहं प्रविशेत् पुनः / न संन्यासी वनं चाथ ब्रह्माचर्यं न साधकः

Transliteration

vānaprasthāśramaṃ gatvā na gṛhaṃ praviśet punaḥ / na saṃnyāsī vanaṃ cātha brahmācaryaṃ na sādhakaḥ

Translation

Wer in das Āśrama des Vānaprastha eingetreten ist, soll nicht wieder in das Haus des Haushälters zurückkehren. Ebenso soll ein Saṃnyāsin nicht zum Lebenswandel des Waldbewohners zurückfallen; und ein Sādhaka soll seine angemessene Disziplin nicht aufgeben und zur Stufe des Brahmacarya zurückgleiten.

Word by Word

• vānaprastha-āśramam: the vānaprastha stage (hermit order)
• vānaprastha-āśramam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānaprastha (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: वानप्रस्थस्य आश्रमः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• gatvā: having gone
• gatvā: Kriya (क्रिया/Preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• gṛham: home
• gṛham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• praviśet: should enter
• praviśet: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (adverb: again)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• saṃnyāsī: a renunciant
• saṃnyāsī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃnyāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• vanam: the forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction: and)

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (then/and)

• brahmacaryam: celibate studentship
• brahmacaryam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahmacarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• sādhakaḥ: a practitioner/aspirant
• sādhakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Varnāśrama-dharma
• Vānaprastha
• Saṃnyāsa
• Brahmacarya

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it teaches steadiness (niṣṭhā) and non-regression in one’s vowed life, a prerequisite for inner purification by which realization of the Self becomes possible in the Kurma Purana’s dharmic-yogic framework.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes āśrama-niyama—firm adherence to one’s chosen life-stage and discipline. In the Kurma Purana’s yoga-ethics, such stability supports tapas, sense-restraint, and sustained sādhana that later culminate in meditative absorption.

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

By presenting a shared dharmic foundation for liberation—ethical discipline and renunciation—this aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the same supreme teaching (whether framed through Śiva/Pāśupata or Viṣṇu/Kūrma) requires unwavering commitment to sādhana.