Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 15

Rules of Food, Acceptance, and Purity for the Twice-Born

Dvija-Śauca and Anna-Doṣa

Devanagari script

दुष्कृतं हि मनुष्यस्य सर्वमन्ने व्यवस्थितम् / यो यस्यान्नं समश्नाति स तस्याश्नानि किल्बिषम्

Transliteration

duṣkṛtaṃ hi manuṣyasya sarvamanne vyavasthitam / yo yasyānnaṃ samaśnāti sa tasyāśnāni kilbiṣam

Translation

まことに、人の悪しき行いはことごとく、その食に宿るかのようである。誰であれ他人の食を食す者は、その人の罪をも共に味わうのである。

Word by Word

• दुष्कृतम्: sin/evil deed
• दुष्कृतम्: कर्म/विषय (topic; what is stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष् + कृत (कृदन्त, √कृ + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘evil deed/sin’

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्धसूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/निश्चय-अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• मनुष्यस्य: of a man/person
• मनुष्यस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all/entire
• सर्वम्: विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies दुष्कृतम्)

• अन्ने: in food
• अन्ने: अधिकरण (सप्तमी/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितम्: is established/contained
• व्यवस्थितम्: विधेयविशेषण (predicate adjective of दुष्कृतम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + √स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → व्यवस्थित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त: ‘established/contained’

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject of समश्नाति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक (relative genitive)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समश्नाति: eats/consumes
• समश्नाति: क्रिया (verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (of अश्नाति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संकेतक-सर्वनाम (correlative)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अश्नाति: eats
• अश्नाति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• किल्बिषम्: sin/guilt
• किल्बिषम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

A Purāṇic narrator/ācārya voice (instructional discourse on dharma within the Kurma Purana’s teaching context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it teaches that karmic impurity adheres to embodied life and its exchanges (like food), implying the Atman is distinct from such stains, while the person in worldly identification becomes affected through karma.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This supports yogic śauca (purity) and disciplined living: careful regulation of what and from whom one eats is presented as part of ethical restraint that stabilizes the mind for higher practice (a dharmic foundation aligned with Pashupata-style discipline).

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

Not explicitly; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s shared Shaiva–Vaishnava dharma framework where purity, right conduct, and karma-governed discipline are upheld as common ground for devotion and yoga.