Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 25

Śrāddha-Kāla-Nirṇaya: Proper Times, Nakṣatra Fruits, Tīrtha Merit, and Offerings for Ancestral Rites

Devanagari script

अहन्यहनि नित्यं स्यात् काम्यं नैमित्तिकं पुनः / एकोद्दिष्टादि विज्ञेयं वृद्धिश्राद्धं तु पार्वणम्

Transliteration

ahanyahani nityaṃ syāt kāmyaṃ naimittikaṃ punaḥ / ekoddiṣṭādi vijñeyaṃ vṛddhiśrāddhaṃ tu pārvaṇam

Translation

Ce qui est accompli jour après jour doit être reconnu comme le rite « nitya » (quotidien). Il existe aussi les rites « kāmya » (inspirés par un désir) et « naimittika » (liés à une circonstance). L’Ekoddiṣṭa et les formes apparentées doivent être compris ainsi ; et le Vṛddhi-śrāddha est, en vérité, le Pārvaṇa, accompli avec l’ensemble complet des offrandes aux ancêtres.

Word by Word

• अहनि-अहनि: day by day
• अहनि-अहनि: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-अव्ययप्रयोगः (distributive adverbial): सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपयोः पुनरुक्तिः; अर्थः—प्रतिदिनम्

• नित्यम्: regularly; always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम

• काम्यम्: desire-motivated (optional)
• काम्यम्: Visheshya (विशेष्य/implicit)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (श्राद्धम् इत्यध्याहार्यं) विशेषणम्

• नैमित्तिकम्: occasional (due to a cause)
• नैमित्तिकम्: Visheshya (विशेष्य/implicit)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नैमित्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (श्राद्धम्) विशेषणम्

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• एक-उद्दिष्ट-आदि: (the type) beginning with ekoddiṣṭa
• एक-उद्दिष्ट-आदि: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्दिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √दिश्/उद्दिश्) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (एकोद्दिष्टं च आदयः) प्रकारनिर्देशः

• विज्ञेयम्: should be understood/known
• विज्ञेयम्: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: ज्ञा-धातोः तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थे य-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय—‘should be known’

• वृद्धि-श्राद्धम्: vṛddhi-śrāddha (for increase/prosperity)
• वृद्धि-श्राद्धम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject/apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वृद्ध्यर्थं श्राद्धम् / वृद्धेः श्राद्धम्)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• पार्वणम्: (is) pārvaṇa
• पार्वणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्वण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (वृद्धिश्राद्धम्)

Speaker

Traditional narrator in the Kurma Purana (instructional discourse on Dharma-śāstra topics; commonly framed as a sage-to-sage teaching within the Purva-bhaga)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Ekoddiṣṭa
• Vṛddhi-śrāddha
• Pārvaṇa

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse is primarily dharma-vidhi (ritual taxonomy) rather than ātma-tattva: it categorizes śrāddha by obligation (nitya), desire (kāmya), and occasion (naimittika), showing how spiritual life in the Kurma Purana also rests on disciplined duty.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No direct yoga technique is taught in this śloka; instead it frames the dharmic groundwork—regular, occasion-based, and intention-based rites—within which the Kurma Purana later presents higher disciplines (e.g., the Upari-bhaga’s yoga-oriented teachings).

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

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; its contribution to the Purana’s synthesis is indirect—upholding Varnāśrama-dharma and pitṛ-yajña as a shared orthodox foundation across Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava devotional frameworks.