Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

निन्दयेद् वै गुरुं देवं वेदं वा सोपबृंहणम् / कल्पकोटिशतं साग्रं रौरवे पच्यते नरः

Transliteration

nindayed vai guruṃ devaṃ vedaṃ vā sopabṛṃhaṇam / kalpakoṭiśataṃ sāgraṃ raurave pacyate naraḥ

Translation

குரு, தெய்வம் அல்லது வேதத்தை—அதன் உபபிருஂஹணங்கள் (விளக்க-இணைப்புகள்) உடனும்—நிந்திப்பவன், நூறு கோடி கல்பங்களுக்கும் மேலாக ரௌரவ நரகத்தில் வேதனைப்படுவான்।

Word by Word

• nindayet: should censure/criticize
• nindayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nind (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• gurum: teacher
• gurum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (singular)

• devam: god/deity
• devam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• vedam: Veda
• vedam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (conjunction: or)

• sa-upabṛṃhaṇam: with its ancillary explanations/augmentations
• sa-upabṛṃhaṇam: Visheshana of veda (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय) + upabṛṃhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter) रूपेण, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• kalpa-koṭi-śatam: a hundred crores of kalpas
• kalpa-koṭi-śatam: Kāla-parimāṇa (कालपरिमाण/अवधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (संख्यावाचक-सम्बन्ध); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative) / कालपरिमाणरूपेण, एकवचन

• sāgram: and more; exceeding
• sāgram: Visheshana of kalpakoṭiśatam (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāgra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• raurave: in Raurava (hell)
• raurave: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raurava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• pacyate: is cooked/tormented
• pacyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teachings as transmitted in the Purāṇic dialogue)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Deva
• Veda
• Raurava

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it upholds Veda and guru as valid means of right knowledge (pramāṇa) for realizing truth; reviling them is treated as a grave obstruction to dharma and liberating insight.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is taught in this verse; it establishes the ethical foundation for yoga—śraddhā (reverent trust) in guru, deva, and śāstra—without which disciplines like Pāśupata-oriented practice and Vedic sādhanā are considered fruitless.

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

By emphasizing reverence to “Deva” and Veda rather than sectarian rivalry, the verse aligns with the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance: devotion and scriptural authority support a unified dharmic path compatible with both Shaiva and Vaishnava orientations.