Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 19

Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge

Devanagari script

परिवादं मृषावादं निद्रालस्यं विवर्जयेत् / एकाग्निरनिकेतः स्यात् प्रोक्षितां भूमिमाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

parivādaṃ mṛṣāvādaṃ nidrālasyaṃ vivarjayet / ekāgniraniketaḥ syāt prokṣitāṃ bhūmimāśrayet

Translation

Er soll Verleumdung, Lüge, Schlafsucht und Trägheit meiden. Er halte nur ein heiliges Feuer, lebe ohne festen Wohnsitz und ruhe auf Erde, die rituell besprengt und gereinigt wurde.

Word by Word

• परिवादम्: slander
• परिवादम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मृषावादम्: lying/false speech
• मृषावादम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृषावाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—मृषा+वाद (false speech)

• निद्रालस्यम्: sleepiness and laziness
• निद्रालस्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निद्रालस्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वः—निद्रा+आलस्य (sleep and laziness)

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विवर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• एकाग्निः: having a single sacred fire
• एकाग्निः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—एक+अग्नि (having one fire)

• अनिकेतः: homeless/without a house
• अनिकेतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिकेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (without a dwelling)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रोक्षिताम्: sprinkled/purified
• प्रोक्षिताम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोक्षित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; प्र+उक्ष् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (sprinkled/purified)

• भूमिम्: ground/earth
• भूमिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आश्रयेत्: should resort to/dwell on
• आश्रयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages/seekers on dharma and ascetic discipline

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Agni

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it teaches purification of speech and conduct (truthfulness, non-slander, vigilance) as prerequisites for inner clarity, by which the Atman/Ishvara can be realized without obstruction from tamas (sleep, laziness) and ethical fault.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It emphasizes foundational yogic restraints and ascetic niyamas: guarding speech (satya, avoidance of harmful talk), minimizing tamasic habits (excess sleep and inertia), living simply (aniketa), and maintaining sacred discipline (ekāgni). Such austerity supports steadiness for mantra-japa, dhyāna, and Pashupata-oriented tapas.

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

Though Shiva is not named in this line, the ethic of tapas, purity, and disciplined renunciation aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis: Vishnu-as-Kurma teaches practices central to Shaiva/Pashupata-style austerity, presenting one dharmic path shared across sectarian forms.