Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14

Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya

Ananta–Kāla

Devanagari script

निर्ममा निरहङ्काराः कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः / द्रक्ष्यन्ति ब्रह्मणा युक्ता रुद्रलोकः स वै स्मृतः

Transliteration

nirmamā nirahaṅkārāḥ kāmakrodhavivarjitāḥ / drakṣyanti brahmaṇā yuktā rudralokaḥ sa vai smṛtaḥ

Translation

ಮಮಕಾರ ಮತ್ತು ಅಹಂಕಾರರಹಿತರು, ಕಾಮ-ಕ್ರೋಧವಿವರ್ಜಿತರು—ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಯುಕ್ತರಾಗಿ ಆ ಪರಮಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು ಕಾಣುವರು. ಅದೇ ರುದ್ರಲೋಕವೆಂದು ಸ್ಮೃತವಾಗಿದೆ।

Word by Word

• निर्ममाः: free from possessiveness
• निर्ममाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• निरहङ्काराः: free from egoism
• निरहङ्काराः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक: निर् + अहङ्कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural; नञ्/उपसर्ग-पूर्वक तत्पुरुष

• कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः: devoid of desire and anger
• कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम + क्रोध + विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural; तत्पुरुष: कामक्रोध- (desire and anger) + विवर्जित (devoid of)

• द्रक्ष्यन्ति: will see
• द्रक्ष्यन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; Simple future 3rd pl.

• ब्रह्मणा: by/with Brahman
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular

• युक्ताः: endowed/connected
• युक्ताः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Nominative plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (joined/endowed)

• रुद्रलोकः: the world of Rudra
• रुद्रलोकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular; तत्पुरुष: रुद्रस्य लोकः

• सः: that/it
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Pronoun nominative singular

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed)

• स्मृतः: is called/known
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on liberation and Rudraloka as the fruit of Brahma-yoga

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Rudra (Shiva)
• Rudraloka

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that realization comes through Brahman-union (brahmaṇā yuktāḥ): when possessiveness, ego, desire, and anger fall away, one directly ‘sees’ the highest reality—expressed here as Rudraloka, a Shaiva name for the supreme liberated attainment.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights Brahma-yoga grounded in vairāgya and inner purification: renouncing ‘mine’-ness (nirmama), dissolving ego (nirahaṅkāra), and mastering the kleshas of desire and anger (kāma-krodha). These are presented as prerequisites for direct realization (darśana).

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

Although spoken in a Vaiṣṇava Purana context, the liberated goal is named Rudraloka, signaling a non-sectarian synthesis where Brahman-realization is equally expressed in Shaiva terminology (Rudra) and Vedantic language (Brahman).