Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 7

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

सदोपवीती चैव स्यात् सदा बद्धशिखो द्विजः / अन्यथा यत् कृतं कर्म तद् भवत्ययथाकृतम्

sadopavītī caiva syāt sadā baddhaśikho dvijaḥ / anyathā yat kṛtaṃ karma tad bhavatyayathākṛtam

Ein Zweimalgeborener soll stets das Upavīta tragen und stets die Śikhā (den Scheitelknoten) ordnungsgemäß gebunden halten. Andernfalls wird jedes von ihm verrichtete Werk und Ritual, als wäre es nicht recht getan.

sadā-upavītīalways wearing the sacred thread
sadā-upavītī:
Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootsadā (सदा-अव्यय) + upavītin (उपवीतिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; avyayībhāva: 'always wearing the upavīta'
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (च-अव्यय)
FormSamuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (एव-अव्यय)
FormAvadhāraṇa-avyaya (emphasis)
syātshould be
syāt:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√as (अस्-धातु)
FormVidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada
sadāalways
sadā:
Kāla (काल/Time)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsadā (सदा-अव्यय)
FormKāla-avyaya (temporal adverb)
baddha-śikhaḥwith tied topknot
baddha-śikhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootbaddha (बन्ध्-धातु, क्त) + śikhā (शिखा-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'with the topknot tied'
dvijaḥthe twice-born (student)
dvijaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (द्विज-प्रातिपदिक)
FormPuṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
anyathāotherwise
anyathā:
Prakāra (प्रकार/Manner)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanyathā (अन्यथा-अव्यय)
FormPrakāra-avyaya (manner adverb)
yatwhatever/that which
yat:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Relative)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (यद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun referring to karma
kṛtamdone
kṛtam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√kṛ (कृ-धातु) kta (क्त)
FormKta-participle, Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; qualifying karma: 'done'
karmaact/rite
karma:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman (कर्मन्-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
tatthat
tat:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject—resumptive)
TypeNoun
Roottad (तद्-सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormNapuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun referring back to karma
bhavatibecomes
bhavati:
Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (भू-धातु)
FormLaṭ (लट्/Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada
ayathā-kṛtamimproperly done
ayathā-kṛtam:
Karma-pradhāna-predicative (विधेय/Predicate complement)
TypeAdjective
Roota- (अ-निषेध) + yathā (यथा-अव्यय) + kṛta (कृ-धातु, क्त)
FormNapuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; avyayībhāva with yathā + negation: 'not properly done/incorrectly performed'

Traditional narrator (Purāṇic instruction to the sages/disciples)

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

U
Upavita
S
Shikha
D
Dvija
V
Varnashrama Dharma

FAQs

Indirectly: it emphasizes disciplined dharma as a foundation for inner purity, which the Kurma Purana treats as supportive for realizing the Self through right conduct and steadiness.

No specific meditation is taught here; instead, it stresses preparatory discipline (niyama-like observances) for a dvija—maintaining upavīta and śikhā—so that spiritual and ritual actions become effective supports for higher practice.

It does not name Shiva or Vishnu explicitly; its dharma-rule reflects the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis where correct conduct (dharma) is upheld as common ground for Shaiva and Vaishnava paths leading toward the same supreme reality.