Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 18

Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)

Devanagari script

देवद्रोहाद् गुरुद्रोहः कोटिकोटिगुणाधिकः / ज्ञानापवादो नास्तिक्यं तस्मात् कोटिगुणाधिकम्

Transliteration

devadrohād gurudrohaḥ koṭikoṭiguṇādhikaḥ / jñānāpavādo nāstikyaṃ tasmāt koṭiguṇādhikam

Translation

देवद्रोहापेक्षा गुरुद्रोह कोट्यवधी पटींनी अधिक महापाप आहे; आणि सत्यज्ञानाची निंदा—म्हणजे नास्तिक्य—ते तर त्याहूनही कोटिगुण अधिक घोर आहे।

Word by Word

• देवद्रोहात्: than treachery against the gods
• देवद्रोहात्: Apadana (अपादान/Source-Comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव-द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—देवस्य द्रोहः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गुरुद्रोहः: treachery against the guru
• गुरुद्रोहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु-द्रोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—गुरोः द्रोहः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• कोटि-कोटि-गुण-अधिकः: greater by crores upon crores of times
• कोटि-कोटि-गुण-अधिकः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि + कोटि + गुण + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कोटिकोटिभिः गुणैः अधिकः (तत्पुरुष; अर्थतः बहुगुणाधिक)

• ज्ञानापवादः: denigration of (true) knowledge
• ज्ञानापवादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-अपवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—ज्ञानस्य अपवादः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• नास्तिक्यम्: atheism/denial
• नास्तिक्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नास्तिक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति निपातवत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• कोटि-गुण-अधिकम्: greater by a crore-fold
• कोटि-गुण-अधिकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोटि + गुण + अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कोट्या गुणैः अधिकम् (तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in a dharma-teaching context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Devas
• Jñāna (true knowledge)
• Nāstikya (atheistic denial)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it upholds jñāna (true liberating knowledge) as sacred; denying or slandering such knowledge is treated as a grave fall, implying that realization of the Self and the Lord rests on śāstra-guided insight rather than nihilistic denial.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No technique is listed, but the verse establishes the ethical foundation required for Yoga—guru-reverence, trust in śāstra, and protection of jñāna—without which disciplines like Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā and devotion cannot mature.

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

It does not explicitly name Śiva or Viṣṇu; instead it reflects the Purāṇa’s synthesis by prioritizing guru and jñāna as universal dharmic supports that undergird both Vaiṣṇava devotion and Śaiva (including Pāśupata) spiritual discipline.