Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 29

Aśauca-vidhi — Rules of Birth/Death Impurity, Sapinda Circles, and Śrāddha Sequence

Devanagari script

अहस्त्वदत्तकन्यानामशौचं मरणे स्मृतम् / ऊनद्विवर्षान्मरणे सद्यः शौचमुदाहृतम्

Transliteration

ahastvadattakanyānāmaśaucaṃ maraṇe smṛtam / ūnadvivarṣānmaraṇe sadyaḥ śaucamudāhṛtam

Translation

ವಿವಾಹಕ್ಕೆ ಕೊಡದ (ಅದತ್ತ) ಕನ್ಯೆಯ ಮರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಶೌಚವಿಲ್ಲವೆಂದು ಸ್ಮೃತಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಎರಡು ವರ್ಷಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಕಡಿಮೆ ವಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಮಗುವಿನ ಮರಣದಲ್ಲಿ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಶೌಚವೆಂದು ಹೇಳಲಾಗಿದೆ।

Word by Word

• ahastva-datta-kanyānām: of girls not given (in marriage) by hand-giving
• ahastva-datta-kanyānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-hastva + datta + kanyā (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः: (1) अहस्त्व = ‘हस्तः’ (hand) + त्व (भाव) with नञ् ‘without hand-giving’; (2) दत्ता (√dā + क्त) ‘given’; (3) कन्या; समस्तपदम् ‘अहस्त्वदत्तकन्या’ = ‘not given by hand (in marriage)’

• aśaucam: impurity
• aśaucam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; नञ्-प्रत्यय (impurity)

• maraṇe: in (case of) death
• maraṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• smṛtam: is stated/remembered
• smṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + smṛta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘remembered/declared (in smṛti)’

• ūna-dvi-varṣāt: from (one) less than two years (of age)
• ūna-dvi-varṣāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ūna + dvi + varṣa (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘द्विवर्षात् ऊनः’ इति षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषप्रायः; अर्थः ‘less than two years’

• maraṇe: in (case of) death
• maraṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम्

• śaucam: purity
• śaucam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śauca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• udāhṛtam: is declared
• udāhṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-ā-√hṛ (धातु) + udāhṛta (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; ‘is proclaimed/declared’

Speaker

Traditional Purāṇic narrator (dharma-instruction section; speaker not explicitly marked in the provided excerpt)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Aśauca
• Śauca
• Adattakanyā

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it reflects the dharma framework in which bodily death triggers social-ritual rules, while the Self is not described here; the verse focuses on regulating external purity rather than defining Ātman.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific yoga practice is taught in this verse; it belongs to dharma-śāstra style guidance on purity after death. Such śauca rules are typically treated as preparatory discipline supporting steadiness (śuddhi) for later mantra, worship, and yogic practice.

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

It does not explicitly address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it presents a shared dharmic norm found across Purāṇic traditions, which both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava streams accept as part of varṇāśrama regulation.