Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

स तु वैन्यः पृथुर्धोमान् सत्यसंधो जितेन्द्रियः / सार्वभौमो महातेजाः स्वधर्मपरिपालकः

Transliteration

sa tu vainyaḥ pṛthurdhomān satyasaṃdho jitendriyaḥ / sārvabhaumo mahātejāḥ svadharmaparipālakaḥ

Translation

Ce Vainya—Prithu—fut vaste en renommée et en splendeur, ferme dans la vérité et maître de ses sens ; souverain universel au grand éclat, il maintint et protégea son propre dharma.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• tu: indeed, and
• tu: Sambandha/Discourse (निपात/Discourse)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• vainyaḥ: Vainya (son of Vena)
• vainyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vainya (प्रातिपदिक; patronymic from Vena)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• pṛthuḥ: broad, great
• pṛthuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग

• dhomān: glorious, radiant (epithet)
• dhomān: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhoman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; (rare/poetic epithet)

• satya-saṃdhaḥ: true to his vow, truth-resolved
• satya-saṃdhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; बहुव्रीहिः (‘whose resolve is truth’)

• jita-indriyaḥ: self-controlled
• jita-indriyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jita (कृदन्त/ppp from √ji) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; बहुव्रीहिः (‘whose senses are conquered’)

• sārvabhaumaḥ: universal ruler
• sārvabhaumaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sārva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhauma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुषः (‘of the whole earth’ → universal sovereign)

• mahā-tejāḥ: of great splendor
• mahā-tejāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; बहुव्रीहिः (‘whose splendor is great’)

• sva-dharma-paripālakaḥ: protector of his own duty
• sva-dharma-paripālakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + paripālaka (प्रातिपदिक; agent from pari-√pāl)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; तत्पुरुषः (‘protector of one’s own dharma’)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the qualities of King Prithu within the Kurma Purana narration

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prithu
• Vainya
• Dharma

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it points to inner sovereignty: “jitendriyaḥ” (conqueror of the senses) implies that true mastery begins within, aligning conduct with truth and dharma—an ethical foundation that the Purana later connects to spiritual realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes yogic restraint through “jitendriyaḥ” (sense-conquest), a core discipline (indriya-nigraha) that supports both dharmic life and higher contemplative practice in the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-teachings.

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

This specific verse does not name Shiva or Vishnu; it presents a shared Purāṇic ideal—truth, self-control, and dharma-protection—virtues upheld across Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis in the Kurma Purana’s overall theological frame.