Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 66

Sapta-dvīpa Cosmography and the Vision of Śvetadvīpa–Vaikuṇṭha

Devanagari script

न तत्राधार्मिका यान्ति न च देवान्तराश्रयाः / वैकुण्ठं नाम तत् स्थानं त्रिदशैरपि वन्दितम्

Transliteration

na tatrādhārmikā yānti na ca devāntarāśrayāḥ / vaikuṇṭhaṃ nāma tat sthānaṃ tridaśairapi vanditam

Translation

Dorthin gelangen weder die Unrechtschaffenen, noch jene, die Zuflucht bei anderen Gottheiten suchen. Dieser Ort heißt Vaikuṇṭha, verehrt selbst von den dreiunddreißig Göttern.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha/Avyaya (प्रतिषेध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana/Avyaya (अधिकरण/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• अधार्मिकाः: unrighteous people
• अधार्मिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: nor/not
• न: Pratiṣedha/Avyaya (प्रतिषेध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• देवान्तराश्रयाः: those who take refuge in other gods
• देवान्तराश्रयाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-अन्तर-आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (देवान्तरम् आश्रयः यस्य)

• वैकुण्ठम्: Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (particle meaning ‘called/namely’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषणम् (स्थानम् इति)

• स्थानम्: place
• स्थानम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• त्रिदशैः: by the thirty (gods)
• त्रिदशैः: Karana (करण/Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/समुच्चयार्थक (also/even)

• वन्दितम्: worshipped
• वन्दितम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वन्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘स्थानम्’ इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s teaching on the Vaishnava goal while maintaining Purāṇic dharma-eligibility criteria

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Vaikuṇṭha
• Tridaśa (the thirty-three Devas)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it frames liberation as access to Vaikuṇṭha, attainable through dharma and single-pointed refuge in the Supreme, implying that realization/attainment is incompatible with adharmic life and scattered dependence on lesser supports.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse emphasizes ethical qualification (dharma) and exclusive refuge (śaraṇāgati/bhakti-niṣṭhā) as the foundation; in Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-teaching, such moral discipline supports steadiness of mind required for meditation and liberating knowledge.

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

By stressing dharma and the highest refuge rather than sectarian rivalry: the Purāṇic synthesis allows reverence for many deities, yet teaches that liberation requires unwavering orientation to the Supreme reality—often expressed as Nārāyaṇa/Vaikuṇṭha here, without denying the wider Shaiva-Vaishnava framework of the text.