Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11

Bāṇa’s Śiva-bhakti and the Genealogy of Kaśyapa’s Descendants

Manvantara Lineages

Devanagari script

ताम्रा च जनयामास षट् कन्या द्विजपुङ्गवाः / शुकीं श्येनीं च भासीं च सुग्रीवाङ्गृध्रिकां शुचिम्

Transliteration

tāmrā ca janayāmāsa ṣaṭ kanyā dvijapuṅgavāḥ / śukīṃ śyenīṃ ca bhāsīṃ ca sugrīvāṅgṛdhrikāṃ śucim

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ! താമ്രാ ആറു പുത്രിമാരെ പ്രസവിച്ചു—ശുകീ, ശ്യേനീ, ഭാസീ, സുഗ്രീവാ, ആംഗൃധ്രികാ, ശുചി।

Word by Word

• ताम्रा: Tāmrā (proper name)
• ताम्रा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāmrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जनयामास: gave birth to
• जनयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• षट्: six
• षट्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; here qualifying plural object

• कन्याः: daughters
• कन्याः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• द्विजपुङ्गवाः: O best of the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजपुङ्गवाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija + puṅgava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), सम्बोधन/प्रथमा बहुवचन (Vocative/Nominative plural; contextually address), समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्रेष्ठः द्विजानाम्)

• शुकीम्: Śukī (name)
• शुकीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्येनीम्: Śyenī (name)
• श्येनीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śyenī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भासीम्: Bhāsī (name)
• भासीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāsī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सुग्रीवाङ्गृध्रिकाम्: Sugrīvā-Gṛdhrikā (name)
• सुग्रीवाङ्गृध्रिकाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-grīva + gṛdhrikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—कर्मधारय (सु-ग्रीवा = good-necked)

• शुचिम्: Śuci (name)
• शुचिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) speaking to the assembled sages (Dvijas) in a genealogical account

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Tāmrā
• Śukī
• Śyenī
• Bhāsī
• Sugrīvā
• Āṅgṛdhrikā
• Śuci

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse is primarily a prajā-sarga (creation/genealogy) notice and does not directly teach Ātman-doctrine; its relevance is indirect—showing how diverse life-lines arise within the ordered cosmic process upheld by Dharma.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific Yoga practice is taught in this verse; it functions as cosmological genealogy. In the Kurma Purana, Yoga and Pāśupata-oriented disciplines are treated more explicitly in later doctrinal sections (notably the Upari-bhāga’s Īśvara-gītā cluster).

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

It does not explicitly address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it belongs to a neutral genealogical register. The synthesis becomes explicit elsewhere in the Kurma Purana’s theological passages where the one Supreme is praised through both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms.