Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 30

Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order

Devanagari script

विपर्ययेण तासां तु तेन तत्कालभाविना / प्रणश्यन्ति ततः सर्वे वृक्षास्ते गृहसंज्ञिताः

Transliteration

viparyayeṇa tāsāṃ tu tena tatkālabhāvinā / praṇaśyanti tataḥ sarve vṛkṣāste gṛhasaṃjñitāḥ

Translation

എന്നാൽ അവരുടെ അവസ്ഥ വിപരീതമായപ്പോൾ—ആ കാലഘട്ടത്തിന്റേതായ മാറ്റം മൂലം—‘ഗൃഹം’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെട്ട ആ വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ എല്ലാം അപ്പോൾ പൂർണ്ണമായി നശിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• विपर्ययेण: by/through the reversal
• विपर्ययेण: करण (Instrument/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपर्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• तु: but
• तु: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• तेन: by that
• तेन: करण (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तत्-काल-भाविना: occurring at that time
• तत्-काल-भाविना: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्मिन् काले भावी/भवन्), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् तेन

• प्रणश्यन्ति: perish/are destroyed
• प्रणश्यन्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: thereupon
• ततः: हेतु/क्रम (Cause/sequence marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (thereupon/thereafter)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् वृक्षाः

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: कर्ता (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; वृक्षाः इत्यस्य पुनरुक्त-निर्देशः

• गृह-संज्ञिताः: called 'houses'
• गृह-संज्ञिताः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गृह इति संज्ञा येषाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् वृक्षाः

Speaker

Narratorial voice within the Purāṇic discourse (instructional passage in Kurma Purana context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Kurma Purana
• gṛha-saṃjñita vṛkṣa
• kāla (Time)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By highlighting that even ‘house-trees’ (supports of domestic life) perish under time’s reversal, the verse implies the Atman is to be sought as that which is not time-conditioned (akāla/avināśin), unlike worldly supports.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports the Yogic discipline of vairāgya (dispassion): recognizing the time-bound collapse of external supports becomes a basis for inner steadiness (dharma, dhyāna) and for turning the mind toward Īśvara rather than transient household securities.

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

Indirectly, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis by emphasizing kāla-driven impermanence and the need to take refuge in the single Supreme Lord (Īśvara) beyond change—taught across both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava frames in this Purāṇa.