Shloka 139

Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga

Devanagari script

मद्भक्तिपरमा नित्यं यतयः क्षीणकल्मषाः / नाशयाम्यचिरात् तेषां घोरं संसारसागरम्

Transliteration

madbhaktiparamā nityaṃ yatayaḥ kṣīṇakalmaṣāḥ / nāśayāmyacirāt teṣāṃ ghoraṃ saṃsārasāgaram

Translation

ನಿತ್ಯ ನನ್ನ ಭಕ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಮರಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಪಾಪಮಲಿನಗಳು ಕ್ಷೀಣಿಸಿದ ಯತಿಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ—ಆ ಭಯಂಕರ ಸಂಸಾರಸಾಗರವನ್ನು ನಾನು ಶೀಘ್ರವೇ ನಾಶಮಾಡುತ್ತೇನೆ.

Word by Word

• मत्-भक्ति-परमाः: supremely devoted to me
• मत्-भक्ति-परमाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (प्रातिपदिक) + parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (mad-bhaktau paramāḥ = having devotion to me as highest)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (अव्ययभावे)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• यतयः: ascetics
• यतयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• क्षीणकल्मषाः: with sins exhausted
• क्षीणकल्मषाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣīṇa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṣi) + kalmaṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (kalmaṣaṃ kṣīṇam yeṣām/ye = whose sin is diminished; adjectival use)

• नाशयामि: I destroy
• नाशयामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √naś (नश्) [causative √naś → nāśaya]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative: ‘cause to perish/destroy’)

• अचिरात्: soon
• अचिरात्: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: acira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तद्धितान्त-निपातवत्; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘before long’)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• संसारसागरम्: ocean of transmigration
• संसारसागरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃsāra (प्रातिपदिक) + sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (saṃsārasya sāgaraḥ)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu/Ishvara) speaking in the Ishvara Gita section

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Ishvara
• Bhakti
• Yati
• Samsara

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme Lord (Ishvara) as the liberating reality who actively removes saṃsāra for purified devotees—implying that freedom is attained by taking refuge in the highest Self as Lord through steady devotion.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to the yati ideal: disciplined striving, purification (kṣīṇa-kalmaṣa), and unwavering bhakti to Ishvara—aligned with Kurma Purana’s integrated path where yogic self-restraint and devotion culminate in liberation.

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

By speaking in the Ishvara Gita voice, the Lord functions as the single Supreme who grants moksha; this supports the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where the liberating Ishvara is honored in both Shaiva and Vaishnava idioms.