Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

Durjaya, Urvaśī, and the Expiation at Vārāṇasī

Genealogy and Sin-Removal through Viśveśvara

Devanagari script

न भेतव्यं त्वया स्वामिन् कार्यं पापविशोधनम् / भीते त्वयि महाराज राष्ट्रं ते नाशमेष्यति

Transliteration

na bhetavyaṃ tvayā svāmin kāryaṃ pāpaviśodhanam / bhīte tvayi mahārāja rāṣṭraṃ te nāśameṣyati

Translation

Ó Senhor, não deves temer; a tarefa é a purificação do pecado. Se tu, ó grande rei, caíres no medo, o teu reino irá à ruína.

Word by Word

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

• भेतव्यम्: should be feared / (you) should fear
• भेतव्यम्: Vidhi/Prayojana (विधि)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भी (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘ought to be feared’ (here: ‘you should fear’)

• त्वया: by you / you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (कर्ता-करण/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/तृतीया), एकवचन; agent in passive/gerundive sense

• स्वामिन्: O master
• स्वामिन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: a task / what must be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; predicate noun ‘what is to be done’

• पाप-विशोधनम्: purification of sin
• पाप-विशोधनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + विशोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (पापस्य विशोधनम्)

• भीते: when (you are) afraid
• भीते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √भी (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘भीत’, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative absolute-like usage with त्वयि

• त्वयि: in you / when you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समास: कर्मधारय (महान् राजा)

• राष्ट्रम्: kingdom
• राष्ट्रम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha/Genitive (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/षष्ठी), एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

• नाशम्: destruction
• नाशम्: Gati/Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• एष्यति: will go/come (to)
• एष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

A minister/counsellor addressing the king (rāja) within the Purva-bhāga narrative frame

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Mahārāja (the king)
• Rāṣṭra (kingdom)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it stresses steadiness and fearlessness as marks of dharmic clarity; in Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis, fear diminishes when one acts from alignment with Dharma and the higher Self rather than egoic anxiety.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is named, but the verse points to inner steadiness (abhaya) and moral purification (pāpa-viśodhana) as prerequisites that support Yoga—self-discipline, truthfulness, and resolute action consistent with śāstra.

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

It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; however, its emphasis on purification and fearless duty aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where devotion and right action are shared means to spiritual and social order.