Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 62

Kali-yuga Doṣas, the Supremacy of Rudra as Refuge, and the Closure of the Manvantara Teaching

Devanagari script

पाण्डवेयो ऽपि तद् वाक्यात् संप्राप्य शरणं शिवम् / संत्यज्य सर्वकर्माणि तद्भक्तिपरमो ऽभवत्

Transliteration

pāṇḍaveyo 'pi tad vākyāt saṃprāpya śaraṇaṃ śivam / saṃtyajya sarvakarmāṇi tadbhaktiparamo 'bhavat

Translation

Pāṇḍaveya aussi, suivant ces paroles, prit refuge en Śiva ; renonçant à toute autre œuvre, il devint entièrement voué à Lui dans la bhakti suprême.

Word by Word

• pāṇḍaveyaḥ: the son of Pāṇḍu (Arjuna)
• pāṇḍaveyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇḍaveya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); patronymic/descendant of Pāṇḍu

• api: also
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय); particle (निपात) meaning 'also/even'

• tad: from that
• tad: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन); used with vākyāt in sense 'from that statement'

• vākyāt: from the speech/statement
• vākyāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• saṃprāpya: having attained, having reached
• saṃprāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√prāp (सम्-प्राप्) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Gerund (ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त); prior action

• śaraṇam: refuge
• śaraṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• saṃtyajya: having abandoned
• saṃtyajya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√tyaj (सम्-त्यज्) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Gerund (ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त); prior action

• sarva-karmāṇi: all actions
• sarva-karmāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन); कर्मधारय: 'all deeds'

• tad-bhakti-paramaḥ: one whose highest aim is devotion to him
• tad-bhakti-paramaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'supreme in devotion to him/that (Śiva)'

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

Speaker

Sūta (narrating to the sages, continuing the Kurma Purana discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Pāṇḍaveya

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By emphasizing śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and single-pointed bhakti, the verse points to liberation through surrender to the supreme Lord (here named Śiva), implying that the highest reality is realized not merely by outer acts but by wholehearted God-centered orientation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights the foundational discipline of Pāśupata-oriented practice: renouncing distractions (sarva-karmāṇi in the sense of competing pursuits) and cultivating ekāgratā (one-pointed devotion). This supports inner yoga—steady remembrance, worship, and surrender as a direct spiritual method.

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

In the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, devotion to Śiva as supreme refuge harmonizes with the broader Purāṇic non-sectarian vision—where the highest Lord is approached through sincere surrender, and Śiva-Viṣṇu unity is affirmed through shared supremacy of the divine principle.