Shloka 59

Karma-yoga Discipline for the Twice-born: Upanayana, Upavīta Conduct, Guru-veneration, and Alms-regimen

Devanagari script

समाहृत्य तु तद् भैक्षं यावदर्थममायया / भुञ्जीत प्रयतो नित्यं वाग्यतो ऽनन्यमानसः

Transliteration

samāhṛtya tu tad bhaikṣaṃ yāvadarthamamāyayā / bhuñjīta prayato nityaṃ vāgyato 'nanyamānasaḥ

Translation

Nachdem er jene Almosenspeise gesammelt hat, ohne Trug und nur im erforderlichen Maß, soll er sie täglich in Reinheit zu sich nehmen, die Rede zügelnd und den Geist auf keinen anderen als den Höchsten Herrn gerichtet.

Word by Word

• समाहृत्य: having collected
• समाहृत्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभावेन; धातु: हृ (to take/bring) उपसर्ग: सम्+आ

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थे

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• भैक्षम्: alms-food
• भैक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• यावत्-अर्थम्: as much as needed
• यावत्-अर्थम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; नपुंसक एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययवत्; अर्थे: ‘यावदर्थम्’ = आवश्यकपरिमाणम्

• अमायया: with guilelessness/sincerity
• अमायया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• भुञ्जीत: should eat
• भुञ्जीत: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रयतः: disciplined/pure
• प्रयतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (to implied ‘he’)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक द्वितीया एकवचन (adverbial accusative)

• वाक्-यतः: restrained in speech
• वाक्-यतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक) + यत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वाचः यतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘speech-restrained’

• अनन्य-मानसः: with undistracted mind
• अनन्य-मानसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (अनन्यं मानसः यस्य/अनन्यं मानसम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘single-minded’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma and yogic discipline

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Bhiksha (alms)
• Yati (renunciate)
• Supreme Self (Atman/Ishvara)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By prescribing “ananya-mānasaḥ” (single-mindedness), the verse points to steadiness in the Supreme (Ishvara/Atman) as the inner orientation that purifies even basic acts like eating.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It emphasizes yama-niyama style disciplines: non-deceit (amāyā), moderation in food (yāvad-artha), purity and vigilance (prayata), restraint of speech (vāg-yata), and one-pointed mind (ananya-manas) supportive of Pashupata-oriented practice.

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

While Vishnu (as Lord Kurma) speaks, the ethic of single-minded devotion and disciplined renunciation aligns with the Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis—one Supreme approached through yogic restraint, beyond sectarian division.