Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 1

Tīrtha-Māhātmya and the Discipline of Pilgrimage (Tīrtha-sevā) within Prāyaścitta

Devanagari script

इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे एकचत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच अन्यच्च तीर्थप्रवरं जप्येश्वरसमीपतः / नाम्ना पञ्चनदं पुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuparivibhāge ekacatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca anyacca tīrthapravaraṃ japyeśvarasamīpataḥ / nāmnā pañcanadaṃ puṇyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

ఇట్లు శ్రీకూర్మపురాణము, షట్సాహస్త్రీ సంహిత, ఉత్తరవిభాగములో నలభై ఒకటవ అధ్యాయము ముగిసెను. సూతుడు పలికెను—జప్యేశ్వర సమీపమున ‘పంచనద’ అను పేరుగల మరొక శ్రేష్ఠ తీర్థము ఉంది; అది పవిత్రమై సమస్త పాపములను నశింపజేయును.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotation/closure particle (इति-प्रयोग)

• śrīkūrmapurāṇe: in the Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa
• śrīkūrmapurāṇe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-kūrma-purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• ṣaṭsāhastryām: in the ‘six-thousand’ (section)
• ṣaṭsāhastryām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ-sāhastrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• saṃhitāyām: in the Saṃhitā
• saṃhitāyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• uparivibhāge: in the upper division
• uparivibhāge: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upari-vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• ekacatvāriṃśaḥ: forty-first
• ekacatvāriṃśaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka-catvāriṃśat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (अध्यायस्य)

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ/उद्देश्य (heading)

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; वक्ता

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• anyaḥ: another
• anyaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (elliptic) ‘another (thing/place)’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• tīrthapravaram: an excellent sacred ford
• tīrthapravaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha-pravara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (उच्यते/ज्ञायते implied)

• japya-īśvara-samīpataḥ: from near Japyeśvara
• japya-īśvara-samīpataḥ: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: japya + īśvara + samīpatas (प्रातिपदिक/अव्यय-प्राय)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablatival sense) ‘from/near’; स्थानवाचक

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु ‘by name’

• pañcanadam: Pañcanada
• pañcanadam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca-nada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (नाम)

• puṇyam: holy
• puṇyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (pañcanadam)

• sarvapāpapraṇāśanam: destroyer of all sins
• sarvapāpapraṇāśanam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva-pāpa-praṇāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (pañcanadam)

Speaker

Sūta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa
• Sūta
• Japyeśvara
• Pañcanada

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse does not directly define Ātman; it emphasizes purification through a sacred tīrtha (Pañcanada), implying the Purāṇic view that inner clarity for spiritual realization is supported by dhārmic acts like pilgrimage.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific yogic technique is taught in this line; the practice implied is tīrtha-sevā (pilgrimage and ritual bathing), a preparatory discipline aligned with Purāṇic sādhanā for cleansing pāpa and supporting higher yoga.

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

By locating a meritorious tīrtha near Japyeśvara (a Śaiva locus) within the Kūrma Purāṇa (a Vaiṣṇava-Śaiva synthesizing text), it reflects the Purāṇa’s integrative sacred landscape where devotion and merit transcend sectarian boundaries.