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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 43

Prayāga-māhātmya — The Greatness of Prayāga and the Discipline of Pilgrimage

स्वकार्ये पितृकार्ये वा देवताभ्यर्चने ऽपि वा / निष्फलं तस्य तत् तीर्थं यावत् तत्फलमश्नुते

svakārye pitṛkārye vā devatābhyarcane 'pi vā / niṣphalaṃ tasya tat tīrthaṃ yāvat tatphalamaśnute

స్వకార్యానికైనా, పితృకార్యానికైనా, దేవతార్చనకైనా—ఆ ఫలం నిజంగా అనుభవంలోకి వచ్చే వరకు, ఆ వ్యక్తికి ఆ తీర్థం ఫలహీనమైనదిగా భావించబడుతుంది।

स्व-कार्येin one’s own affair
स्व-कार्ये:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootस्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: स्वस्य कार्ये (in one's own work)
पितृ-कार्येin ancestral duty/rites
पितृ-कार्ये:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: पितॄणां कार्ये (in ancestral rites/duty to ancestors)
वाor
वा:
सम्बन्ध (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)
देवता-अभ्यर्चनेin the worship of deities
देवता-अभ्यर्चने:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
TypeNoun
Rootदेवता (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यर्चन (प्रातिपदिक; from अभि+अर्च्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: देवतानाम् अभ्यर्चने (in worship of deities)
अपिalso/even
अपि:
सम्बन्ध (Additive particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)
वाor
वा:
सम्बन्ध (Disjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (or)
निष्फलम्fruitless
निष्फलम्:
विधेय (Predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिष्फल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (predicate adjective)
तस्यof him
तस्य:
सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (of him/of that person)
तत्that
तत्:
कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देश (demonstrative)
तीर्थम्pilgrimage-place/holy ford
तीर्थम्:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृस्थानी/विषय (subject)
यावत्until/as long as
यावत्:
सम्बन्ध (Temporal limit)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयावत् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधिवाचक (until/as long as)
तत्-फलम्its fruit/result
तत्-फलम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: तस्य फलम् (that fruit/result)
अश्नुतेattains/enjoys
अश्नुते:
क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
TypeVerb
Rootअश् (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; 'attains/enjoys'

Traditional narration within the Kurma Purana’s tīrtha-dharma teaching (speaker commonly framed as Sūta/Vyāsa in Purāṇic transmission; verse functions as an instructive maxim).

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

P
Pitṛs (ancestors)
D
Devatās (deities)
T
Tīrtha

FAQs

Indirectly: it stresses karma-phala (experienced results) rather than metaphysical analysis—implying that spiritual acts must mature into lived transformation, not merely external performance.

No specific āsana/dhyāna is named; the verse emphasizes disciplined intention and fruition—an applied ethic that supports Yoga by insisting that worship, ancestral rites, and tīrtha-sevā must culminate in realized benefit (inner purity and dharmic outcome).

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it aligns with the Purāṇa’s integrative dharma tone by treating devatā-arcana and tīrtha practice as universally valid means whose worth is measured by attained fruit, not sectarian labels.