Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 44

Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rudra’s Samanvaya Teaching

Maṅkaṇaka Episode

Devanagari script

सप्तसारस्वतं तीर्थं ब्रह्माद्यैः सेवितं परम् / पूजयित्वा तत्र रुद्रमश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

saptasārasvataṃ tīrthaṃ brahmādyaiḥ sevitaṃ param / pūjayitvā tatra rudramaśvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

பிரம்மா முதலிய தேவர்கள் சேவிக்கும் மிகப் பரிசுத்தமான சப்தசாரஸ்வத தீர்த்தத்தில் ருத்ரனை வழிபட்டால், அச்வமேத யாகத்திற்குச் சமமான புண்ணியப் பலன் கிடைக்கும்।

Word by Word

• सप्तसारस्वतम्: the ‘Saptasārasvata’ (sevenfold Sarasvat-related)
• सप्तसारस्वतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + सारस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (संख्या-पूर्वपद: ‘सप्तानां सारस्वतानां/सरस्वती-सम्बन्धानां’)

• तीर्थम्: holy ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• ब्रह्माद्यैः: by Brahmā and others
• ब्रह्माद्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘ब्रह्मा आदिः येषां ते’ = Brahmā and others)

• सेवितम्: served/visited
• सेवितम्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: कृत (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘served/attended’ (agreeing with tīrtham)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (of tīrtham)

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having worshipped’

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• रुद्रम्: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit of the Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधफलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘अश्वमेधस्य फलम्’)

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing about tīrtha-māhātmya and Śiva-worship

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Saptasārasvata Tīrtha
• Brahmā
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Aśvamedha

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it frames liberation-oriented merit as arising from devotion and sanctified practice: worship of Rudra at a supreme tīrtha yields extraordinary fruit, implying that contact with the divine (Īśvara) through dharmic means purifies the self and supports realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights tīrtha-sevā and īśvara-pūjā (worship of Rudra) as purificatory disciplines. In the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-dharma framework, such worship functions as preparatory sādhana—cleansing karma and stabilizing devotion—supporting later meditative absorption.

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

Spoken as Kurma (Viṣṇu) while praising Rudra-worship, it exemplifies the Purāṇic non-sectarian synthesis: devotion to Śiva is affirmed within a Vaiṣṇava narration, presenting Śiva-pūjā as fully dharmic and spiritually efficacious.