Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57

Divine Abodes on the Mountains — A Sacred Survey of Jambūdvīpa

Kailāsa to Siddha Realms

Devanagari script

तस्यैव पूर्वदिग्भागे किञ्चिद् वै दक्षिणाश्रिते / सनत्कुमारो भगवांस्तत्रास्ते ब्रह्मवित्तमः

Transliteration

tasyaiva pūrvadigbhāge kiñcid vai dakṣiṇāśrite / sanatkumāro bhagavāṃstatrāste brahmavittamaḥ

Translation

એ જ પ્રદેશના પૂર્વ દિશાભાગે, થોડું દક્ષિણ તરફ ઝુકેલા સ્થાને, બ્રહ્મવિદ્યા ના પરમ જાણકાર ભગવાન સનત્કુમાર નિવાસ કરે છે।

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that/its
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• पूर्व-दिग्-भागे: in the eastern quarter/part
• पूर्व-दिग्-भागे: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + दिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) 'भाग', सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: पूर्वायाः दिशः भागः (in the part of the eastern direction)

• किञ्चित्: a little, somewhat
• किञ्चित्: विशेषण (Adverbial/quantifier modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय (indeclinable-like quantifier), परिमाणवाचक (quantifier)

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; emphasis/assurance)

• दक्षिण-आश्रिते: in a slightly southern position
• दक्षिण-आश्रिते: अधिकरण (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रित (आ-श्रि धातु + क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः: दक्षिणम् आश्रिते (situated toward the south); विशेषणम् to implied 'देशे/भागे'

• सनत्-कुमारः: Sanatkumāra
• सनत्-कुमारः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनत् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारयः (proper name)

• भगवान्: venerable
• भगवान्: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् to 'सनत्कुमारः'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• आस्ते: dwells/sits
• आस्ते: क्रिया (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्रह्म-वित्-तमः: the best knower of Brahman
• ब्रह्म-वित्-तमः: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विद् (धातु; 'to know' → वित् as prātipadika) + तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—तत्पुरुषः: ब्रह्मणः वित् (knower of Brahman) + तम (superlative suffix) => 'best knower of Brahman'; विशेषणम् to 'सनत्कुमारः'

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic sage voice, traditionally within Sūta/Vyāsa-style narration) describing a sacred region and its resident rishi

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sanatkumara
• Brahman

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling Sanatkumāra “brahmavittamaḥ,” the verse foregrounds Brahman-realization as the highest knowledge—implying that liberation hinges on direct insight into the Supreme Reality (Brahman/Ātman), not merely ritual or location.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse does not list techniques directly; it highlights the authority of a Brahman-knower (Sanatkumāra), implying that jñāna-oriented discipline—inner contemplation leading to Brahman-knowledge—stands at the apex of Kurma Purana’s broader Yoga-dharma framework.

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

Indirectly: by placing Brahman-knowledge at the center, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology where sectarian forms (Śiva/Vişṇu) ultimately point to one Supreme Reality known through realized sages.