Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage

Yātrā-vidhi

Devanagari script

उर्वशीपुलिने रम्ये विपुले हंसपाण्डुरे / परित्यजतियः प्राणान् शृणु तस्यापि यत् फलम्

Transliteration

urvaśīpuline ramye vipule haṃsapāṇḍure / parityajatiyaḥ prāṇān śṛṇu tasyāpi yat phalam

Translation

Quiconque abandonne son souffle vital sur la belle et vaste rive d’Urvaśī, blanche comme les cygnes, écoute maintenant le fruit spirituel qui lui échoit aussi.

Word by Word

• उर्वशीपुलिने: on the Urvaśī sandbank
• उर्वशीपुलिने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वशी + पुलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः = 'on Urvaśī’s sandbank'

• रम्ये: beautiful
• रम्ये: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; agrees with पुलिने

• विपुले: broad/vast
• विपुले: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; agrees with पुलिने

• हंसपाण्डुरे: swan-white
• हंसपाण्डुरे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हंस + पाण्डुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; adjective to पुलिने; तत्पुरुष-भावः = 'pale/white like swans'

• परित्यजति: gives up/abandons
• परित्यजति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; relative pronoun

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म), बहुवचनम्

• शृणु: hear/listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; particle = 'also/even'

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; relative pronoun qualifying फलम्

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting a Kurma Purana tirtha-mahatmya discourse of the sages

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Urvashi-pulina
• Prana
• Hamsa (swan symbolism)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that the manner and place of one’s final prāṇa-release can support inward turning toward the Self; the promised “phala” is traditionally linked to purification of mind and readiness for liberation rather than mere external ritual.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to prāṇa-samyama at life’s end—dying with awareness at a consecrated tirtha—aligned with Purāṇic yoga ethics: remembrance of Īśvara, steadiness of mind, and surrender (īśvara-praṇidhāna) as the prāṇas withdraw.

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

By framing tirtha-phala within a shared Purāṇic salvation vocabulary (Īśvara, prāṇa, mokṣa), it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where sectarian boundaries soften and sacred places are honored as gateways to the one Supreme Lord.