Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 19

Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide

Devanagari script

तप्तकृच्छ्रं चरेद् वाथ संवत्सरमतन्द्रितः / षाण्मासिके तु संसर्गे प्रायश्चित्तार्धमर्हति

Transliteration

taptakṛcchraṃ cared vātha saṃvatsaramatandritaḥ / ṣāṇmāsike tu saṃsarge prāyaścittārdhamarhati

Translation

ಅಥವಾ ಅವನು ಅಲಕ್ಷ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಒಂದು ವರ್ಷ ‘ತಪ್ತಕೃಚ್ಛ್ರ’ ಪ್ರಾಯಶ್ಚಿತ್ತವನ್ನು ಆಚರಿಸಬೇಕು. ಆದರೆ ಆರು ತಿಂಗಳ ಅವಧಿಯ ನಂತರ ಆ ಸಂಗ ಸಂಭವಿಸಿದ್ದರೆ, ಪ್ರಾಯಶ್ಚಿತ್ತದ ಅರ್ಧ ಮಾತ್ರ ಅವನಿಗೆ ಯೋಗ್ಯ.

Word by Word

• तप्तकृच्छ्रम्: the ‘taptakṛcchra’ penance
• तप्तकृच्छ्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तप्तकृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तप्तः कृच्छ्रः इति कर्मधारयः

• चरेत्: should practice
• चरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/प्रस्तावार्थक-निपात (then/and now)

• संवत्सरम्: for a year
• संवत्सरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अतन्द्रितः: unwearied, vigilant
• अतन्द्रितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतन्द्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of the doer)

• षाण्मासिके: in a six-month (period)
• षाण्मासिके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षाण्मासिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies ‘संसर्गे’)

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• संसर्गे: in association/contact
• संसर्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रायश्चित्तार्धम्: half of the expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तार्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—प्रायश्चित्तस्य अर्धम्

• अर्हति: deserves/is due
• अर्हति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-śāstra style injunctions on prāyaścitta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma Purana
• Prāyaścitta
• Taptakṛcchra
• Varnāśrama Dharma

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it frames self-mastery (restraint, vigilance, and purification through prāyaścitta) as necessary preparation for higher spiritual realization taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana, where inner purity supports knowledge of the Self.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Not a meditation technique, but a yogic discipline of tapas: the taptakṛcchra austerity and atandritā (non-negligent vigilance). Such ethical purification is treated as a prerequisite limb for deeper yogic practice in Purāṇic teaching.

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

This verse is primarily dharma/prāyaścitta instruction and does not explicitly discuss Shiva–Vishnu unity; however, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis treats tapas and purification as universally valid across Shaiva and Vaishnava paths.