Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 62

Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas

Devanagari script

अभिमन्त्र्य जलं मन्त्रैस्तल्लिङ्गैर्वारुणैः शुभैः / भावपूतस्तदव्यक्तं ध्यायन् वै विष्णुमव्ययम्

Transliteration

abhimantrya jalaṃ mantraistalliṅgairvāruṇaiḥ śubhaiḥ / bhāvapūtastadavyaktaṃ dhyāyan vai viṣṇumavyayam

Translation

ശുഭമായ വാരുണമന്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ—അതേ ലിംഗചിഹ്നങ്ങളോടുകൂടി—ജലം അഭിമന്ത്രിച്ച്, അന്തർഭാവം ശുദ്ധനായവൻ ആ അവ്യക്ത തത്ത്വത്തെ, അഥവാ അവ്യയനായ വിഷ്ണുവിനെ ധ്യാനിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• abhimantrya: having consecrated (by mantra)
• abhimantrya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-mantr (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from √mantr with prefix abhi-; ‘having consecrated/enchanted’

• jalam: water
• jalam: Karma (कर्म; object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण; means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• tat-liṅgaiḥ: with those symbols/marks
• tat-liṅgaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण; means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vāruṇaiḥ: Varuṇa-related (watery)
• vāruṇaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying ‘mantraiḥ/tat-liṅgaiḥ’

• śubhaiḥ: auspicious
• śubhaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying ‘mantraiḥ’

• bhāva-pūtaḥ: purified by devotion
• bhāva-pūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता; subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + pūta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘purified by devotion/feeling’

• tat-avyaktam: that unmanifest (principle)
• tat-avyaktam: Karma (कर्म; object of dhyāyan)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + avyakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: ‘that (which is) unmanifest’

• dhyāyan: meditating
• dhyāyan: Karta (कर्ता; subject action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• viṣṇum: Vishnu
• viṣṇum: Karma (कर्म; object of dhyāyan)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying ‘viṣṇum’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in ritual-yoga and meditative purification

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Varuṇa
• Viṣṇu
• Avyakta (the Unmanifest)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It points to the Supreme as “Avyakta,” the Unmanifest—meditated upon as Viṣṇu who is “Avyaya” (imperishable), indicating a transcendent, changeless ground behind ritual forms.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It combines mantra-śuddhi (consecrating water through Varuṇa-mantras) with bhāva-śuddhi (purifying intention) and culminates in dhyāna (steady meditation) on the Unmanifest Viṣṇu—an integrated ritual-yogic discipline.

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

By treating mantra-ritual and inner purification as a single path leading to the Unmanifest Lord identified as Viṣṇu, it reflects the Purāṇa’s synthetic approach where sectarian methods converge upon one imperishable Supreme.