Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 29

Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation

Devanagari script

यस्तु कृष्णचतुर्दश्यां स्नात्वा देवं पिनाकिनम् / आराधयेद् द्विजमुखे न तस्यास्ति पुनर्भवः

Transliteration

yastu kṛṣṇacaturdaśyāṃ snātvā devaṃ pinākinam / ārādhayed dvijamukhe na tasyāsti punarbhavaḥ

Translation

Mas aquele que, no décimo quarto dia da quinzena escura (Kṛṣṇa-caturdaśī), após banhar-se, adora o Senhor Pinākin (Śiva) com o rito realizado pela boca de um duas-vezes-nascido (um brāhmaṇa oficiante), para ele não há renascimento novamente.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्धक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• कृष्ण-चतुर्दश्याम्: on the dark (kṛṣṇa) fourteenth lunar day
• कृष्ण-चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (time-locative)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• पिनाकिनम्: Pinākin (Śiva, bearer of the bow Pināka)
• पिनाकिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेष्य-देवम् (epithet of Śiva)

• आराधयेत्: should worship/propitiate
• आराधयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-राध् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• द्विज-मुखे: in the presence/through the mouth of a brāhmaṇa
• द्विज-मुखे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; देश/आश्रय-अधिकरण (in/through the mouth i.e., presence of a brāhmaṇa)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पुनर्भवः: rebirth
• पुनर्भवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुनर्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages (Kurma Purana narrative voice)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Pinakin
• Krishna Chaturdashi
• Dvija (Brahmin)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It frames liberation as freedom from punarbhava (repeated birth), implying that realized communion with the Lord (here Śiva as Pinākin) culminates in release from saṃsāra—the hallmark of knowing the Supreme beyond cyclical becoming.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes preparatory purification (snāna) and focused devotion (ārādhana) as disciplined observances (vrata), aligning with Purāṇic yoga as regulated body-mind conduct that supports concentration and grace-oriented liberation.

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

With Viṣṇu (as Kūrma) teaching the worship of Śiva (Pinākin) as liberating, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: devotion to either deity is presented as a valid path toward mokṣa.