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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

वेदार्थवित्तमैः कार्यं यत्स्मृतं मुनिभिः पुरा / स ज्ञेयः परमो धर्मो नान्यशास्त्रेषु संस्थितः

Transliteration

vedārthavittamaiḥ kāryaṃ yatsmṛtaṃ munibhiḥ purā / sa jñeyaḥ paramo dharmo nānyaśāstreṣu saṃsthitaḥ

Translation

Aquilo que os sábios ensinaram outrora—que se deve agir de acordo com os que verdadeiramente conhecem o sentido do Veda—isso mesmo deve ser entendido como o Dharma supremo; não está estabelecido em outros tratados meramente secundários.

Word by Word
वेद-अर्थ-वित्तमैःby the best knowers of the Veda’s meaning
वेद-अर्थ-वित्तमैः:
करण (Karaṇa/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootवेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + वित्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: वेदार्थस्य वित्तमाः (श्रेष्ठ-विद्वांसः) “best knowers of Vedic meaning”; Instrumental plural: “by/with the best knowers…”
कार्यम्is to be done
कार्यम्:
विधेय (Predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular neuter; predicate noun: “(it is) to be done”
यत्that which
यत्:
सम्बन्ध (Relative)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; Relative pronoun referring to the content “that which”
स्मृतम्declared/remembered
स्मृतम्:
कर्मणि-क्रियाविशेष (Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त-क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; “remembered/declared”
मुनिभिःby sages
मुनिभिः:
करण (Karaṇa/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; Instrumental plural: “by sages”
पुराformerly
पुरा:
काल (Time adjunct/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb); “formerly”
सःthat
सः:
कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun: “that (dharma)”
ज्ञेयःis to be known
ज्ञेयः:
विधेय (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु) → ज्ञेय (कृदन्त-तव्य/यत्)
Formयत्/तव्यत्-अर्थे कृदन्त (gerundive/भाव्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “is to be known”
परमःsupreme
परमः:
विशेषण (Adjective/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; agreeing with धर्मः: “supreme”
धर्मःdharma
धर्मः:
कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular masculine
नnot
न:
सम्बन्ध/निषेध (Negation)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध (negation particle/निषेध)
अन्य-शास्त्रेषुin other treatises
अन्य-शास्त्रेषु:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः “अन्यानि शास्त्राणि”; Locative plural: “in other treatises”
संस्थितःestablished
संस्थितः:
विधेय (Predicate participle)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + स्था (धातु) → संस्थित (कृदन्त-क्त)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; “is situated/established”
Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu), instructing on Vedamūla-dharma

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities
V
Veda
M
Munis (sages)
D
Dharma

FAQs

Indirectly: it establishes that the highest truth and right conduct must be grounded in Veda-realization as preserved by realized sages; knowledge of Self is approached through Vedic meaning, not through isolated, non-Vedic speculation.

No single technique is named; the verse sets the prerequisite for Yoga and sādhanā—practice should follow Veda-meaning as transmitted by competent knowers, aligning discipline, ethics, and contemplation with Vedic authority (a foundation compatible with later Pāśupata-oriented instruction in the Purāṇa).

By asserting Veda-grounded supreme Dharma, it supports the Purāṇa’s synthetic stance: both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva paths are validated when rooted in Vedic meaning and taught by true knowers, rather than sectarian or purely secondary doctrines.

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