Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 10

Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas

Devanagari script

अशक्तावशिरस्कं वा स्नानमस्य विधीयते / आर्द्रेण वाससा वाथ मार्जनं कापिलं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

aśaktāvaśiraskaṃ vā snānamasya vidhīyate / ārdreṇa vāsasā vātha mārjanaṃ kāpilaṃ smṛtam

Translation

Wenn jemand nicht imstande ist (den Ritus vollständig zu vollziehen) oder kein Haar auf dem Kopf hat, ist ihm das Bad vorgeschrieben. Oder auch das Abwischen des Körpers mit einem nassen Tuch wird als die Reinigung nach der Art „Kāpila“ überliefert.

Word by Word

• अशक्त-अवशिरस्कम्: (for one who is) weak or without a head (i.e., head ailment/without head-bath)
• अशक्त-अवशिरस्कम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśakta (प्रातिपदिक) + avaśiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (अशक्तश्च अवशिरस्कश्च)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• अस्य: for him/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen sg)

• विधीयते: is prescribed
• विधीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: लट्; आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is prescribed)

• आर्द्रेण: with wet
• आर्द्रेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ārdra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन; विशेषण (of वाससा)

• वाससा: cloth/garment
• वाससा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāsas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचन (Instr sg)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• अथ: then/else
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/विकल्पार्थक निपात (then/else)

• मार्जनम्: wiping/cleansing
• मार्जनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārjana (प्रातिपदिक; from √mṛj ‘to wipe/clean’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• कापिलम्: Kāpila (as per Kapila’s rule/tradition)
• कापिलम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāpila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (of मार्जनम्)

• स्मृतम्: is declared/considered
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smṛta (कृदन्त; √smṛ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विधेय-विशेषण (is said/remembered)

Speaker

Traditional Purāṇic narrator (instructional dharma discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Kāpila (mode of purification)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes śauca (purity) as an outer discipline that supports inner clarity—preparing the practitioner for self-knowledge and devotion, even though the verse itself is about bodily purification.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No direct āsana or dhyāna is taught; the verse highlights preparatory yogic discipline (yama/niyama-type śauca). It permits an alternative cleansing (wet-cloth wiping) when full bathing is not feasible, supporting consistent sādhana.

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

It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative dharma framework where ritual purity serves as a shared foundation for both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva modes of worship and yoga.