Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

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

Devanagari script

स्नात्वा तत्र विधानेन तर्पयित्वा पितॄन् द्विजाः / पिशाचमोचने तीर्थे पूजयामास शूलिनम्

Transliteration

snātvā tatra vidhānena tarpayitvā pitṝn dvijāḥ / piśācamocane tīrthe pūjayāmāsa śūlinam

Translation

Setelah mandi di sana menurut tata-ritus dan mempersembahkan tarpaṇa kepada para Pitṛ, para dvija memuja Śūlin (Śiva pemegang trisula) di tīrtha bernama Piśācamocana.

Word by Word

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक—स्नानं कृत्वा (having bathed)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• vidhānena: by the prescribed rite
• vidhānena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• tarpayitvā: having satisfied (with offerings)
• tarpayitvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tṛp (धातु) [causative: tarpay-]
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) + क्त्वा (gerund); पूर्वकालिक—तर्पणं कृत्वा (having satisfied/offered libations)

• pitṝn: the ancestors
• pitṝn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• dvijāḥ: the twice-born (Brahmins)
• dvijāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• piśāca-mocane: at (the place called) Piśācamocana
• piśāca-mocane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piśāca (प्रातिपदिक) + mocana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पिशाचानां मोचनम् (deliverance from piśācas)

• tīrthe: at the sacred ford
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pūjayāmāsa: worshipped
• pūjayāmāsa: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परिप्रयोगः—आमास-आगम (periphrastic perfect style)

• śūlinam: the trident-bearer (Śiva)
• śūlinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūlin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration, traditionally Sūta/Vyāsa framework)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Pitrs
• Dvijas
• Pishachamocana Tirtha
• Shiva (Shulin)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it presents dharmic purification (snāna) and ancestral offerings (pitṛ-tarpaṇa) as preparatory disciplines that steady the mind and refine saṁskāra—supporting later realization-oriented teachings where inner purity becomes a basis for knowledge of the Self.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes ritual discipline rather than seated meditation: tīrtha-snānā (purificatory bathing), pitṛ-tarpaṇa (ancestral libations), and īśvara-pūjā (worship of Śiva). In Purāṇic yoga-dharma, these are karmayoga-style purifications that support higher sādhana.

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

Within the Kurma Purana’s integrative theology, even when the narrative voice is Vaiṣṇava-leaning, sacred action culminates in reverence to Śiva (Śūlin). This reflects the text’s Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony: tīrtha-dharma and īśvara-bhakti converge rather than compete.