Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 66

Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मुमुक्षुर्नियतो वसेद् वै मरणान्तिकम् / वाराणस्यां महादेवाज्ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा विमुच्यते

Transliteration

tasmānmumukṣurniyato vased vai maraṇāntikam / vārāṇasyāṃ mahādevājjñānaṃ labdhvā vimucyate

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് മോക്ഷം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന साधകൻ നിയന്ത്രിതനായി ജീവിതാന്തം വരെ അവിടെ വസിക്കണം; കാരണം വാരാണസിയിൽ മഹാദേവനിൽ നിന്ന് മോചനജ്ഞാനം ലഭിച്ച് അവൻ ബന്ധനത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിമുക്തനാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: हेतु/अपादान (Cause/ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (‘therefore/from that’)

• मुमुक्षुः: one who seeks liberation
• मुमुक्षुः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुमुक्षु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘मोक्षं इच्छति’ (one desiring liberation)

• नियतः: disciplined; restrained
• नियतः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मुमुक्षोः विशेषणम्; ‘disciplined/regulated’

• वसेत्: should dwell
• वसेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: अव्यय-सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/सम्भावनार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• मरणान्तिकम्: until death; up to the time of death
• मरणान्तिकम्: कालाधिकरण (Temporal limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मरण + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial): ‘मरणस्य अन्तिकम्’ = up to death

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• महादेवात्: from Mahādeva
• महादेवात्: अपादान (Source/From)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; महा + देव (कर्मधारय)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; लब्ध्वा-क्रियायाः कर्म

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Absolutive; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/त्वा), ‘having obtained’

• विमुच्यते: is liberated; is freed
• विमुच्यते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘is released’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages in Purva-bhaga context while praising Kashi as a moksha-ksetra under Mahadeva

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Mahadeva
• Varanasi (Kashi)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that liberation comes through jñāna (true knowing) bestowed by Mahādeva in a sacred setting; the Atman is realized as free from bondage when that knowledge dawns, culminating in vimukti (complete release).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes niyama-like discipline (niyataḥ) and life-long steadiness in a sanctified environment; it aligns with Purāṇic Yoga-shāstra themes where restraint, sacred residence (kṣetra-vāsa), and jñāna together mature into mokṣa.

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

With Vishnu (as Lord Kūrma) praising Mahādeva as the giver of liberating knowledge in Kashi, it presents a complementary, non-sectarian vision: devotion and instruction can flow across Shiva–Vishnu lines in the Kurma Purana’s synthesis.