Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

Prayāga-māhātmya — The Greatness of Prayāga and the Discipline of Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

कथितुं नेह शक्नोमि बहुवर्षशतैरपि / संक्षेपेण प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रयागस्येह कीर्तनम्

Transliteration

kathituṃ neha śaknomi bahuvarṣaśatairapi / saṃkṣepeṇa pravakṣyāmi prayāgasyeha kīrtanam

Translation

ഇത് ഇവിടെ നൂറുകണക്കിന് വർഷങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ടും ഞാൻ വിവരിക്കാൻ കഴിയില്ല; അതിനാൽ പ്രയാഗത്തിന്റെ കീർത്തനവും മഹിമയും സംക്ഷേപമായി ഞാൻ പറയും.

Word by Word

• कथितुम्: to narrate
• कथितुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Complement of ability)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त; infinitive)
• Form: तुमुनन्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थक-नाम (verbal noun) — 'to narrate'

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध/Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• शक्नोमि: I am able
• शक्नोमि: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• बहु-वर्ष-शतैः: with many hundreds of years
• बहु-वर्ष-शतैः: Karana (करण/Instrument; measure of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); तत्पुरुष-समास (वर्षाणां शतानि) with 'बहु' as qualifier; 'even with many hundreds of years'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-अव्यय (particle; 'even')

• संक्षेपेण: briefly/in summary
• संक्षेपेण: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial instrumental)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I will declare
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• प्रयागस्य: of Prayāga
• प्रयागस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location; discourse 'here')
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• कीर्तनम्: description/praise
• कीर्तनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक; from कीर्त्/कीर्तय्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Primary narrator (Purana-vakta, traditionally presented as a sage in the Kurma Purana transmission)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prayaga

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: by admitting that the tīrtha’s glory is beyond exhaustive speech and time, the verse points to a sacred reality that exceeds ordinary description—echoing Purāṇic teaching that the deepest dharma and sanctity ultimately transcend words.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is named in this verse; it sets the frame for tīrtha-kīrtana (sacred recitation) and pilgrimage-based discipline, which in the Kurma Purana supports purification (śuddhi) and steadiness of mind—foundational to later Yoga-shāstra and Pāśupata-oriented practice.

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

This verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, its genre (tīrtha-mahātmya) typically functions in the Kurma Purana to harmonize Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava devotion by presenting sacred places as shared fields of grace where sectarian boundaries are secondary to dharma and purification.