Shloka 32

Svāyambhuva Lineage to Dakṣa; Pṛthu’s Devotion; Pāśupata Saṃnyāsa; Dakṣa–Satī Episode

Devanagari script

भस्मसंदिग्धसवाङ्गं कौपीनाच्छादनान्वितम् / तपसा कर्षितात्मानं शुक्लयज्ञोपवीतिनम्

Transliteration

bhasmasaṃdigdhasavāṅgaṃ kaupīnācchādanānvitam / tapasā karṣitātmānaṃ śuklayajñopavītinam

Translation

Todo su cuerpo estaba ungido con ceniza sagrada; vestía sólo un taparrabos; su ser, afinado y adelgazado por la austeridad; y llevaba el hilo sagrado, blanco y puro (yajñopavīta).

Word by Word

• भस्म-संदिग्ध-सर्व-अङ्गम्: (him) with all limbs smeared with ash
• भस्म-संदिग्ध-सर्व-अङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संदिग्ध (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (acc. sg. n.)—‘whose whole body is smeared with ash’

• कौपीन-आच्छादन-अन्वितम्: clad in a loincloth covering
• कौपीन-आच्छादन-अन्वितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कौपीन (प्रातिपदिक) + आच्छादन (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘endowed with loincloth-covering’

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; instrument/means

• कर्षित-आत्मानम्: having an emaciated body/self
• कर्षित-आत्मानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्षित (कृदन्त; √कृष् कर्षणे) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘one whose self/body is emaciated’

• शुक्ल-यज्ञोपवीतिनम्: wearing a white sacred thread
• शुक्ल-यज्ञोपवीतिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक) + यज्ञोपवीतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण—‘wearing a white sacred thread’

Speaker

Narrator/Sage (Purāṇic narration describing the ideal Pāśupata-style ascetic traits within Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Pashupata (ascetic discipline)
• Bhasma (sacred ash)
• Yajnopavita (sacred thread)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Atman as something to be purified and steadied through tapas and disciplined living—external marks (ash, simple clothing) signify inner restraint rather than mere display.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Tapas (austerity) and renunciant discipline are emphasized: bodily simplicity, sacred ash as a Shaiva marker of detachment, and the maintained yajñopavīta indicating continuity of Vedic discipline alongside ascetic practice—an ethic aligned with Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā.

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

By validating Shaiva ascetic insignia (bhasma) together with Vedic symbols (yajñopavīta), the Kurma Purana’s style supports a synthetic dharma where devotion and discipline transcend sectarian division—consistent with its broader Shiva–Vishnu unity tone.