Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 48

Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)

Devanagari script

न पश्येत् प्रेतसंस्पर्शं न क्रुद्धस्य गुरोर्मुखम् / न तैलोदकयोश्छायां न पत्नीं भोजने सति / नामुक्तबन्धनाङ्गां वा नोन्मत्तं मत्तमेव वा

Transliteration

na paśyet pretasaṃsparśaṃ na kruddhasya gurormukham / na tailodakayośchāyāṃ na patnīṃ bhojane sati / nāmuktabandhanāṅgāṃ vā nonmattaṃ mattameva vā

Translation

ಶವಸ್ಪರ್ಶದಿಂದ ದೂಷಿತನಾದವನನ್ನು ನೋಡಬಾರದು; ಕ್ರುದ್ಧನಾದ ಗುರುವಿನ ಮುಖವನ್ನೂ ನೋಡಬಾರದು. ಎಣ್ಣೆಯಲ್ಲೋ ನೀರಲ್ಲೋ ತನ್ನ ಪ್ರತಿಬಿಂಬವನ್ನು ನೋಡಬಾರದು; ಭೋಜನ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪತ್ನಿಯನ್ನು ನೋಡಬಾರದು. ಬಂಧನ ಮುಕ್ತವಾಗದ ಅಂಗಗಳಿರುವವನನ್ನು, ಉನ್ಮತ್ತನನ್ನು, ಮದ್ಯಮತ್ತನನ್ನೂ ನೋಡಬಾರದು.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• paśyet: should see
• paśyet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• preta-saṃsparśam: contact with a corpse
• preta-saṃsparśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta-saṃsparśa (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + संस्पर्श)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• kruddhasya: of (one who is) angry
• kruddhasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kruddha (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• guroḥ: of the teacher
• guroḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• mukham: face
• mukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• taila-udakayoḥ: of oil and water
• taila-udakayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taila-udaka (प्रातिपदिक; तैल + उदक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual)

• chāyām: shadow/reflection
• chāyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• patnīm: wife
• patnīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhojane: during eating/at a meal
• bhojane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sati: when (it) is/while (it) is occurring
• sati: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat (कृदन्त; अस्-धातु, शतृ/सत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• mukta-bandhana-aṅgām: a woman whose limbs are freed from bindings (unrestrained)
• mukta-bandhana-aṅgām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta-bandhana-aṅgā (प्रातिपदिक; मुक्त + बन्धन + अङ्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• unmattam: a mad person
• unmattam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: unmatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• mattam: an intoxicated person
• mattam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: matta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

Speaker

Kurma Purana narrator (instructional dharma-ācāra section; traditionally framed through the Purana’s sage-to-sage discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes disciplined sense-restraint and purity of perception, which support inner clarity (śuddhi) needed for realizing the Self beyond sensory agitation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A practical restraint (niyama/ācāra) teaching: regulating what one deliberately looks at to prevent mental disturbance—an ethical support for concentration (dhāraṇā) and steadiness of mind.

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

It does not mention Shiva or Vishnu explicitly; it reflects the shared dharmic foundation used in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis—purity, restraint, and reverence toward the guru as common prerequisites for higher worship and yoga.