Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

Genealogies of Yadus and Vṛṣṇis; Navaratha’s Refuge to Sarasvatī; Rise of Sāttvata Tradition; Prelude to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Incarnation

Devanagari script

स नारदस्य वचनाद् वासुदेवार्चनान्वितम् / शास्त्रं प्रवर्तयामास कुण्डगोलादिभिः श्रुतम्

Transliteration

sa nāradasya vacanād vāsudevārcanānvitam / śāstraṃ pravartayāmāsa kuṇḍagolādibhiḥ śrutam

Translation

Sur la parole de Nārada, il mit en mouvement un śāstra sacré, empreint du culte à Vāsudeva, tel qu’il l’avait entendu de maîtres comme Kuṇḍagola et d’autres.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• नारदस्य: of Nārada
• नारदस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वचनात्: from (the) word/instruction
• वचनात्: हेतु/निमित्त (cause/source; Ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन

• वासुदेवार्चनान्वितम्: endowed with worship of Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवार्चनान्वितम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासुदेव-अर्चन-अन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying शास्त्रम्); समास: वासुदेवस्य अर्चनम् + तेन अन्वितम्

• शास्त्रम्: treatise/teaching
• शास्त्रम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रवर्तयामास: set forth/propagated
• प्रवर्तयामास: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु) causative √वर्तय्
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative) भाव: ‘set in motion/propagated’

• कुण्डगोलादिभिः: by (teachers) such as Kuṇḍagola and others
• कुण्डगोलादिभिः: करण (Instrument/agentive means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुण्डगोल-आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन; (कुण्डगोलः + आदि)

• श्रुतम्: heard/learned (i.e., received by tradition)
• श्रुतम्: कर्म-विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; शास्त्रम् इति विशेषण

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (describing the establishment of a Vāsudeva-arcana tradition on Nārada’s counsel)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vāsudeva
• Kuṇḍagola

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By centering the śāstra on Vāsudeva-arcana, the verse implies that realization is supported by disciplined worship of the Supreme Lord, where devotion becomes a means to approach the inner Self (ātman) through the Lord as the indwelling reality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse foregrounds arcana (ritual worship) as a regulated sādhana: a yoga of devotion and discipline taught as śāstra, transmitted through teachers, and practiced as a structured path (upāsanā) rather than mere sentiment.

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

Although Vishnu (Vāsudeva) is explicitly named, the Purāṇic frame supports synthesis: authoritative śāstra and disciplined worship function as shared ground where sectarian boundaries soften, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony.