Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 32

Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas

Devanagari script

सहस्रपरमां नित्यं शतमध्यां दशावराम् / सावित्ररिं वै जपेद् विद्वान् प्राङ्मुखः प्रयतः स्थितः

Transliteration

sahasraparamāṃ nityaṃ śatamadhyāṃ daśāvarām / sāvitrariṃ vai japed vidvān prāṅmukhaḥ prayataḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

Orang bijak hendaknya senantiasa melafalkan mantra Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī)—utama seribu kali, sedang seratus kali, atau paling sedikit sepuluh kali—dalam keadaan suci, disiplin, berdiri menghadap timur.

Word by Word

• सहस्र-परमाम्: up to a thousand (times)
• सहस्र-परमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of ‘सावित्रीम्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra + paramā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; ‘having a thousand as the highest (count)’ (तत्पुरुष)

• नित्यम्: daily
• नित्यम्: Kāla/Avyaya (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (नित्यं), ‘always/daily’

• शत-मध्याम्: with a hundred as the middle (count)
• शत-मध्याम्: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘सावित्रीम्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata + madhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; ‘having a hundred as the middle (count)’ (तत्पुरुष)

• दश-अवराम्: with ten as the minimum
• दश-अवराम्: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘सावित्रीम्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa + avarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; ‘having ten as the lowest (count)’ (तत्पुरुष)

• सावित्रीम्: the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) mantra
• सावित्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; name of the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) mantra

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/indeed

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (जप्) (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular; ‘should mutter/recite’

• विद्वान्: a learned person
• विद्वान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘learned man’

• प्राङ्-मुखः: facing east
• प्राङ्-मुखः: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘विद्वान्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāṅ + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘whose face is towards the east’ (बहुव्रीहि)

• प्रयतः: disciplined
• प्रयतः: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘विद्वान्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prayata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘restrained/purified’

• स्थितः: standing
• स्थितः: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘विद्वान्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु)
• Form: Past Active Participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘standing/remaining’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s prescribed discipline (vidhi) for Sāvitrī-japa

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Gāyatrī

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It does so indirectly: by prescribing Sāvitrī-japa as a daily discipline, the verse points to inner purification and steady recollection that supports Self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna) and God-centered awareness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights mantra-yoga through japa, coupled with bodily discipline (standing), ritual purity and restraint (prayataḥ), and directional orientation (facing east), aligning with Sandhyā practice as a preparatory limb for deeper meditation.

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

This verse is practice-focused rather than sectarian: it emphasizes a shared Vedic mantra-discipline (Sāvitrī-japa) that both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions in the Kurma Purana uphold as foundational for purification and devotion.