Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27

Durjaya, Urvaśī, and the Expiation at Vārāṇasī

Genealogy and Sin-Removal through Viśveśvara

Devanagari script

संस्मरन्नुर्वशीवाक्यं तस्यां संसक्तमानसः / न पश्यति स्मताः सर्वागिरिशृङ्गाणिजग्मिवान्

Transliteration

saṃsmarannurvaśīvākyaṃ tasyāṃ saṃsaktamānasaḥ / na paśyati smatāḥ sarvāgiriśṛṅgāṇijagmivān

Translation

उर्वशीचे वचन स्मरत, तिच्यात आसक्त मनाने तो काहीही न पाहता पुढे चालत राहिला; पर्वतशिखरेही न पाहता तो पार गेला।

Word by Word

• संस्मरन्: remembering
• संस्मरन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्-

• उर्वशी-वाक्यम्: Urvaśī’s words
• उर्वशी-वाक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वशी (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: उर्वश्याः वाक्यम्

• तस्याम्: in her / with regard to her
• तस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संसक्त-मानसः: whose mind was attached (to her)
• संसक्त-मानसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-सञ्ज्/सक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: संसक्तं मानसं यस्य (whose mind is attached)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्/दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्म: indeed/then (past marker)
• स्म: Kriyānuṣaṅga (क्रियानुषङ्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; भूतार्थे/अनुस्मारक (past-tense marker with present form)

• ताः: those
• ताः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्व-गिरि-शृङ्गाणि: all the mountain-peaks
• सर्व-गिरि-शृङ्गाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + गिरि (प्रातिपदिक) + शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: गिरिणां शृङ्गाणि; ‘सर्व’ उपपद-विशेषण

• जग्मिवान्: having gone/traversed
• जग्मिवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु (perfect active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘one who has gone’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic narrative to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shringara

Characters & Entities

• Urvashi

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By showing how attachment eclipses perception, the verse implicitly contrasts the fluctuating mind with the witnessing Self (Ātman), which remains unobscured when the mind is disciplined and detached.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights pratyāhāra and citta-nigraha in negative form: when the mind is seized by saṅga (attachment), awareness collapses. The Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented sections repeatedly stress sense-restraint, steadiness of mind, and vairāgya as foundations for higher contemplation.

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

Not directly; however, the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis uses such psychological teachings to support a shared yogic aim—freedom from moha—whether approached through devotion to Hari or through Pāśupata-oriented discipline under Īśvara.