Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 68

Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच एतद् वः कथितं विप्रा योगमोक्षप्रदायकम् / कौर्मं पुराणमखिलं यज्जगाद गदाधरः

Transliteration

sūta uvāca etad vaḥ kathitaṃ viprā yogamokṣapradāyakam / kaurmaṃ purāṇamakhilaṃ yajjagāda gadādharaḥ

Translation

சூதர் கூறினார்—ஓ விப்ரர்களே, யோகமும் மோட்சமும் அளிக்கும் இந்த முழுக் கூர்ம புராணத்தை, கதாதரர் (திரு விஷ்ணு) உரைத்ததுபோலவே நான் உங்களுக்குச் சொன்னேன்.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Dvitīyā vibhakti (Nom./Acc., 1st/2nd), Ekavacana (Singular)

• vaḥ: of you / to you (contextual)
• vaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive, 6th), Bahuvacana (Plural); enclitic pronoun

• kathitam: told, narrated
• kathitam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kathita (कृदन्त; √kath/कथ्)
• Form: Kta-pratyaya (past passive participle), Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom./Acc.), Ekavacana; agrees with etat

• viprāḥ: O brāhmaṇas
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Sambodhana/Prathamā (Vocative/Nominative), Bahuvacana (Plural)

• yoga-mokṣa-pradāyakam: bestowing yoga and liberation
• yoga-mokṣa-pradāyakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + pradāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana (Singular); viśeṣaṇa of etat/kathitam

• kaurmam: Kūrma-related (Kaurma)
• kaurmam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaurma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana (Singular); qualifies purāṇam

• purāṇam: Purāṇa
• purāṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana (Singular)

• akhilam: entire, complete
• akhilam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akhila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana (Singular); qualifies purāṇam

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana (Singular); relative pronoun referring to purāṇam

• jagāda: spoke, proclaimed
• jagāda: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gad (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada

• gadādharaḥ: Gadādhara (Viṣṇu, bearer of the mace)
• gadādharaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gadā-dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Vipras (Brāhmaṇas)
• Gadādhara (Viṣṇu/Lord Kūrma)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It frames the Purāṇa’s teaching as “yoga-mokṣa-pradāyaka”—aimed at liberation—implying that its purpose is direct realization of the liberating truth taught by the Lord (Gadādhara), rather than mere storytelling.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse functions as a closing statement, summarizing the work as a giver of Yoga and Mokṣa; it points to the Kurma Purāṇa’s broader yogic discipline (yoga as sādhana leading to release), including the text’s integrated dharma-and-yoga orientation rather than specifying a single technique here.

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

By attributing the ultimate authority of the teaching to Gadādhara (Viṣṇu) while presenting the Purāṇa as a yoga-mokṣa scripture often harmonizing Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava currents, it supports the Kurma Purāṇa’s characteristic non-sectarian synthesis: one liberating teaching expressed through multiple divine forms.