Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

अतो ऽन्यानितु शास्त्राणिपृथिव्यांयानिकानिचित् / न तेषु रमते धीरः पाषण्डी तेन जायते

Transliteration

ato 'nyānitu śāstrāṇipṛthivyāṃyānikānicit / na teṣu ramate dhīraḥ pāṣaṇḍī tena jāyate

Translation

Portanto, quanto aos outros tratados que existem na terra, sejam quais forem, o homem firme e discernente não se deleita neles; pois, pelo apego a doutrinas heterodoxas, torna-se um pāṣaṇḍin, sectário de visões falsas.

Word by Word

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: सम्बन्ध/हेतु (Causal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेत्वर्थक-अव्यय (causal adverb); “therefore/from this”

• अन्यानि: other
• अन्यानि: विशेषण (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), बहुवचन; agreeing with शास्त्राणि: “other”

• तु: but
• तु: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ; “but/however”

• शास्त्राणि: treatises
• शास्त्राणि: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Nominative plural neuter

• पृथिव्याम्: on earth
• पृथिव्याम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular: “on earth”

• यानि: which
• यानि: सम्बन्ध (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Relative pronoun agreeing with शास्त्राणि: “which”

• कानि: some
• कानि: सम्बन्ध (Indefinite)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; Indefinite sense with चित्: “some”

• चित्: some/any
• चित्: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) अनिश्चितार्थ; used with interrogative/relative to mean “some/any”

• न: not
• न: सम्बन्ध/निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle/निषेध)

• तेषु: in them
• तेषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; Locative plural: “in them”

• रमते: delights
• रमते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; “delights”

• धीरः: the wise person
• धीरः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular masculine

• पाषण्डी: a heretic
• पाषण्डी: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाषण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular masculine: “heretic”

• तेन: thereby
• तेन: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular: “by that/thereby”

• जायते: arises
• जायते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; “is born/arises”

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing Indradyumna (contextual dharma-teaching tone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Vishnu
• Dharma
• Pāṣaṇḍa

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it praises the dhīra (the steady, discriminating seeker), implying that right discernment is required to avoid false views and remain aligned with the highest truth taught by authentic śāstra.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes viveka (discernment) and śāstra-niṣṭhā (grounding in reliable teaching) as prerequisites for yogic progress—without them, one is diverted into pāṣaṇḍa paths that obstruct liberation.

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

By warning against sectarian deviation rather than promoting rivalry, it supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian, synthesis-oriented stance—true dharma is upheld beyond divisive labels.