Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 11

Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct

Devanagari script

निमन्त्रितस्तु यः श्राद्धे प्रकुर्यात् कलहं द्विजः / भवन्ति तस्य तन्मासं पितरो मलभोजनाः

Transliteration

nimantritastu yaḥ śrāddhe prakuryāt kalahaṃ dvijaḥ / bhavanti tasya tanmāsaṃ pitaro malabhojanāḥ

Translation

Wenn jedoch ein Dvija, der zu einem Śrāddha eingeladen wurde, dort Streit stiftet, dann werden seine Pitṛs (Ahnen) für den ganzen Monat zu gleichsam „Unratessern“, da sie unreine, herabgewürdigte Opfergaben empfangen.

Word by Word

• निमन्त्रितः: invited
• निमन्त्रितः: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निमन्त्रित (कृदन्त; √मन्त्र् (धातु) + नि उपसर्ग, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle) used adjectivally

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• प्रकुर्यात्: should do/make
• प्रकुर्यात्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + प्र उपसर्ग
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कलहम्: quarrel
• कलहम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• द्विजः: a twice-born (brāhmaṇa etc.)
• द्विजः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• भवन्ति: become/are
• भवन्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (demonstrative)

• मासम्: for a month
• मासम्: कालाधिकरण/अवधि (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कालावधि (accusative of duration)

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक

• मलभोजनाः: eating filth/impure food
• मलभोजनाः: विशेषण (Qualifier of पितरः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मल + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक); मल-भोजन (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मलस्य भोजनम्/मलभोजनः) used adjectivally

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the dharma-teaching as taught in the Kurma Purana’s śrāddha section

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Dvija
• Śrāddha

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it stresses dharmic conduct and purity of intention; in Purāṇic teaching, inner disposition (śuddhi) conditions the fruit of rites, aligning action with higher order (dharma) that supports spiritual realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No explicit yoga-technique is taught here; the practical discipline is restraint of speech and mind (akrodha, saumyatā) during sacred rites—an ethical foundation that the Kurma Purana elsewhere treats as supportive for higher sādhana.

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

This verse is primarily dharma-focused rather than sectarian; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis by grounding spiritual life in shared dharmic ethics that underlie both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions.