Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 115

Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni

Devanagari script

विज्ञाय सा च तद्भावं स्मृत्वा दाशरथिं पतिम् / जगाम शरणं वह्निमावसथ्यं शुचिस्मिता

Transliteration

vijñāya sā ca tadbhāvaṃ smṛtvā dāśarathiṃ patim / jagāma śaraṇaṃ vahnimāvasathyaṃ śucismitā

Translation

Als sie seine Absicht erkannte und ihres Gemahls gedachte—Rāma, des Sohnes Daśarathas—ging sie, die rein Lächelnde, zum heiligen Feuer im Opferbezirk, um dort Zuflucht zu nehmen.

Word by Word

• vijñāya: having understood
• vijñāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from vi-√jñā; ‘having known/understood’

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• tad-bhāvam: that state/condition
• tad-bhāvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘tasya bhāvaḥ’), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• smṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), from √smṛ; ‘having remembered’

• dāśarathim: Dāśarathi (Rāma)
• dāśarathim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāśarathi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); patronymic ‘son of Daśaratha’ (Rāma)

• patim: husband
• patim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• jagāma: went
• jagāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• śaraṇam: for refuge
• śaraṇam: Gati-karman/Prayojana (गतिकर्म/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially with √gam ‘as refuge/for refuge’

• vahnim: Agni, fire
• vahnim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vahni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• āvasathyam: domestic (household)
• āvasathyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āvasathya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying ‘śaraṇam’/or appositional to ‘vahnim’: ‘belonging to the dwelling/household (domestic)’

• śuci-smitā: she of pure smile
• śuci-smitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक) + smitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (‘śuciṃ smitaṃ yasyāḥ/śuci-smitā’), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (Sūta/compilers’ narrative voice) describing Sītā

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma (Dāśarathi)
• Agni (Vahni)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it frames dharma through śaraṇāgati (taking refuge): Sītā turns to Agni as a witness of truth, reflecting the Purāṇic idea that inner purity and सत्य (truth) are upheld by the cosmic order ultimately rooted in the Supreme.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No formal āsana/prāṇāyāma is taught here; the practice emphasized is ethical-spiritual discipline—steadfastness in truth, purity (śuci), and surrender to a higher witness (śaraṇaṃ). This aligns with Purāṇic yoga as dharma-grounded inner resolve.

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

The verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it supports the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis by presenting a dharmic act (appeal to Agni as cosmic witness) that stands above sectarian boundaries, consistent with the text’s integrative theology.