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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4

Dakṣa-yajña-bhaṅgaḥ — Dadhīci’s Teaching and the Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice

स शप्तः शंभुना पूर्वं दक्षः प्राचेतसो नृपः / विनिन्द्य पूर्ववैरेण गङ्गाद्वरे ऽयजद् भवम्

sa śaptaḥ śaṃbhunā pūrvaṃ dakṣaḥ prācetaso nṛpaḥ / vinindya pūrvavaireṇa gaṅgādvare 'yajad bhavam

പ്രാചേതസന്റെ പുത്രനായ രാജാവ് ദക്ഷൻ, മുൻപ് ശംഭുവാൽ ശപിക്കപ്പെട്ടവൻ; പിന്നെയും പഴയ വൈരത്താൽ നിന്ദിച്ചു കൊണ്ടു ഗംഗാദ്വാരത്തിൽ ഭവൻ (ശിവൻ)നെ ആരാധിച്ചു।

सःhe
सः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
शप्तःcursed
शप्तः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśap (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘cursed’
शंभुनाby Śambhu (Śiva)
शंभुना:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootśaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
पूर्वम्formerly/before
पूर्वम्:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootpūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)
दक्षःDakṣa
दक्षः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootdakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; व्यक्तिनाम
प्राचेतसःPrācetasa (son/descendant of Pracetā)
प्राचेतसः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootprācetasa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Prācetasa = descendant of Pracetā)
नृपःking
नृपः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
विनिन्द्यhaving reviled
विनिन्द्य:
Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-nind (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृत्)
Formल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having reviled/after censuring’
पूर्ववैरेणdue to former enmity
पूर्ववैरेण:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootpūrva-vaira (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + वैर)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पूर्वं वैरम्)
गङ्गाद्वरेat Gaṅgādvāra (Haridvāra)
गङ्गाद्वरे:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootgaṅgā-dvāra (प्रातिपदिक; गङ्गा + द्वार)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गङ्गायाः द्वारम्)
अयजत्worshipped/sacrificed to
अयजत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootyaj (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
भवम्Bhava (Śiva)
भवम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शिवनाम

Narrator (Purāṇic sage-narration within the Kurma Purana’s discourse framework)

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuna

D
Daksha
S
Shambhu (Shiva)
B
Bhava (Shiva)
G
Ganga
G
Gangadvara

FAQs

Indirectly: it shows that ritual acts and sacred places alone do not purify unless inner hostility is transformed; the Purāṇic teaching points toward inner alignment (śuddhi) as essential for realizing the Self beyond egoic enmity.

No formal yoga technique is stated; the verse highlights tīrtha-sevā and īśvara-pūjā as preparatory disciplines. In Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva teaching, such worship becomes fruitful when joined to restraint, humility, and devotion—foundational attitudes for Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā.

By presenting Śiva (Śambhu/Bhava) as a supreme recipient of worship within the Kurma Purana, it supports the text’s inclusive theology where devotion to Śiva is honored even within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa framework, aligning with the Purāṇic vision of harmony among forms of Īśvara.