Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 35

Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta

Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman

Devanagari script

स्कन्देदिन्द्रियदौर्बल्यात् स्त्रियं दृष्ट्वा यतिर्यदि / तेन धारयितव्या वै प्राणायामास्तु षोडश / दिवास्कन्दे त्रिरात्रं स्यात् प्राणायामशतं तथा

Transliteration

skandedindriyadaurbalyāt striyaṃ dṛṣṭvā yatiryadi / tena dhārayitavyā vai prāṇāyāmāstu ṣoḍaśa / divāskande trirātraṃ syāt prāṇāyāmaśataṃ tathā

Translation

ઇન્દ્રિયદૌર્બલ્યથી જો યતિ સ્ત્રીને જોઈ સંયમથી સ્ખલિત થાય, તો તેણે નિશ્ચયે સોળ પ્રાણાયામોથી પોતાને સ્થિર કરવો. જો દિવસમાં આ સ્ખલન થાય, તો ત્રણ રાત્રિ નિયમ રહે; તેમજ સો પ્રાણાયામ પણ નિર્દિષ્ટ છે।

Word by Word

• स्कन्देत्: should slip/fall (from restraint)
• स्कन्देत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्कन्द् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• इन्द्रिय-दौर्बल्यात्: due to weakness of the senses
• इन्द्रिय-दौर्बल्यात्: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + दौर्बल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• स्त्रियम्: a woman
• स्त्रियम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/preceding action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययकृदन्त)

• यतिः: an ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त-निपात)

• तेन: by him; by that (means)
• तेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (पुं/नपुं), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun referring to the ascetic

• धारयितव्याः: to be performed/should be undertaken
• धारयितव्याः: Vidhi (विधि/obligation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारयितव्य (कृदन्त, √धृ धातु; तव्यत्/कर्तव्यता)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); passive necessity participle agreeing with 'प्राणायामाः'

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• प्राणायामाः: breath-restraints (prāṇāyāmas)
• प्राणायामाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• तु: then/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral used adjectivally; Nominative (प्रथमा) Plural sense qualifying 'प्राणायामाः' (indeclinable-like numeral form)

• दिवा-स्कन्दे: in a daytime lapse
• दिवा-स्कन्दे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location-occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवा (अव्यय) + स्कन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); 'in a daytime lapse'

• त्रि-रात्रम्: a period of three nights
• त्रि-रात्रम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्याशब्द) + रात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• प्राणायाम-शतम्: a hundred prāṇāyāmas
• प्राणायाम-शतम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणायाम (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• तथा: likewise; thus
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating a dharma-yoga teaching as transmitted by the sages)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Yati
• Prāṇāyāma

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it treats sense-weakness as an obstacle to steadiness; by prāṇāyāma and restraint the mind becomes fit for Atman-realization, which in the Kurma Purana’s yoga-dharma is the higher aim beyond mere expiation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Prāṇāyāma as a corrective discipline: prescribed counts (sixteen, and in a stricter case one hundred) function as tapas and mind-regulation to restore brahmacarya, indriya-nigraha, and meditative stability.

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

Not explicitly in this verse; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s shared yoga-ethic valued in both Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions—purification through tapas and prāṇāyāma as a common path toward the one Supreme.