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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24

Kapardeśvara at Piśācamocana — Liberation of a Piśāca and the Brahmapāra Hymn

तदाचिरेण कालेन पञ्चत्वमहमागतः / न दृष्टं नन्मया घोरं यमस्य वदनं मुने

tadācireṇa kālena pañcatvamahamāgataḥ / na dṛṣṭaṃ nanmayā ghoraṃ yamasya vadanaṃ mune

«Peu après, j’atteignis l’état de “retour aux cinq éléments”, c’est-à-dire la mort. Pourtant, ô sage, je ne vis pas le visage terrible de Yama.»

तदाthen
तदा:
Kāla (काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: then)
चिरेणafter a long time
चिरेण:
Kāla (काल)
TypeNoun
Rootcira (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; कालवाचक-प्रयोग ‘after a long time’
कालेनwith/by time
कालेन:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन
पञ्चत्वम्death
पञ्चत्वम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpañcatva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘state of five’ = death
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन
आगतःreached/attained
आगतः:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootāgata (प्रातिपदिक) < ā+gam (धातु)
Formक्त-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘came/attained’
not
:
Nishedha (निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय
दृष्टम्was seen
दृष्टम्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) < dṛś (धातु)
Formक्त-कृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘was seen’
not
:
Nishedha (निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय
मयाby me
मया:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तम-पुरुष सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन
घोरम्terrible
घोरम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootghora (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वदनम्)
यमस्यof Yama
यमस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootyama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन
वदनम्face
वदनम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvadana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन
मुनेO sage
मुने:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootmuni (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

A departed soul (narrating to a sage within the Purva-bhaga dialogue frame)

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Y
Yama

FAQs

By depicting death as “pañcatva” (dissolution into elements), the verse implies that what truly matters is not the body’s end but the inner spiritual standing that can remain unshaken by death’s terrors.

While not naming a specific technique, the verse points to the fruit of sustained dharma and yogic steadiness—fearlessness and clarity at the time of death—an ideal aligned with Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis and later Pashupata-oriented disciplines in the Kurma Purana.

Indirectly: the emphasis is on transcending fear of Yama through spiritual realization and dharma, a goal shared across Shaiva and Vaishnava paths in the Kurma Purana’s integrative (non-sectarian) teaching style.