Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 111

Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany

Devanagari script

य इमं श्रावयेन्नित्यं लिङ्गाध्यायमनुत्तमम् / शृणुयाद् वा पठेद् वापि सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

ya imaṃ śrāvayennityaṃ liṅgādhyāyamanuttamam / śṛṇuyād vā paṭhed vāpi sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

ഈ അനുത്തമ ‘ലിംഗാധ്യായം’ നിത്യം ശ്രാവ്യമാക്കിക്കുന്നവൻ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ കേൾക്കുന്നവൻ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വായിക്കുന്നവൻ—അവൻ സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു മോചിതനാകും।

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who (he who)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• imam: this
• imam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• śrāvayet: should cause to be heard / recite to (others)
• śrāvayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ṇic (णिच् causative)
• Form: Causative (णिजन्त), Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• nityam: always, regularly
• nityam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• liṅga-adhyāyam: the chapter on the liṅga
• liṅga-adhyāyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (ṣaṣṭhī/सम्बन्ध: liṅgasya adhyāyaḥ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• anuttamam: unsurpassed, excellent
• anuttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); viśeṣaṇa of liṅgādhyāyam

• śṛṇuyāt: should listen
• śṛṇuyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction/alternative particle (विकल्पार्थक)

• paṭhet: should read/recite
• paṭhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction/alternative particle (विकल्पार्थक)

• api: even, also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)

• sarva-pāpaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpaiḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) (sarvāṇi pāpāni), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• pramucyate: is freed / is released
• pramucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु) + pra (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Third person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); passive sense (कर्मणि प्रयोग)

Speaker

Sūta (traditional Purāṇic narrator) recounting the phalaśruti (fruit of hearing/recitation) within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Liṅga
• Śiva

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it teaches purification (pāpa-kṣaya) through śravaṇa/pāṭha of sacred teaching, preparing the mind for Self-knowledge rather than defining Ātman philosophically.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A bhakti-and-śāstra based discipline: daily listening (śravaṇa), recitation/reading (pāṭha), and sponsoring recitation (śrāvaṇa/śrāvayet). In Kurma Purana’s yoga framework, such practices function as citta-śuddhi supportive of higher yoga.

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

By elevating the Liṅga teaching as salvific within a Purāṇa associated with Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu), it reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis—Śiva-devotion and Purāṇic dharma are presented as compatible paths to purification.