Shloka 98

Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti

Devanagari script

चतुर्णामाश्रमाणां तु प्रोक्तो ऽयं विधिवद्द्विजाः / आश्रमो वैष्णवो ब्राह्मो हराश्रम इति त्रयः

Transliteration

caturṇāmāśramāṇāṃ tu prokto 'yaṃ vidhivaddvijāḥ / āśramo vaiṣṇavo brāhmo harāśrama iti trayaḥ

Translation

โอทวิชะทั้งหลาย กฎนี้ได้ประกาศโดยชอบแล้วเกี่ยวกับอาศรมทั้งสี่: แบ่งเป็นสามจำพวก คือ อาศรมไวษณพ อาศรมพราหมะ(เกี่ยวกับพรหม) และอาศรมหระ(ศิวะ/ไศวะ)

Word by Word

• चतुर्णाम्: of four
• चतुर्णाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; ‘आश्रमाणाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• आश्रमाणाम्: of the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed; but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अन्वयार्थक (but/indeed)

• प्रोक्तः: has been declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि: ‘has been declared’

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विधिवत्: properly; according to rule
• विधिवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (according to rule/properly)

• द्विजाः: O twice-born ones (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक: द्वि + ज)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रथमा-बहुवचन (vocative sense); कर्मधारय: ‘twice-born’

• आश्रमः: āśrama (order)
• आश्रमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वैष्णवः: Vaiṣṇava
• वैष्णवः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आश्रमः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• ब्राह्मः: Brahmā-related (Brāhma)
• ब्राह्मः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘आश्रमः’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• हराश्रमः: Hara’s āśrama (Śaiva order)
• हराश्रमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हराश्रम (प्रातिपदिक: हर + आश्रम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (हरस्य आश्रमः)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्या-शब्द

Speaker

Suta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teaching in the discourse-context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu (Vaiṣṇava)
• Brahmā (Brāhma)
• Hara (Śiva)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It does not directly define Ātman; instead, it frames spiritual life through dharma by classifying āśrama-orientation as Vaiṣṇava, Brāhma, or Hara—implying multiple sanctioned pathways for realizing the highest principle.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific practice is listed; the verse sets the institutional context—āśrama-discipline—within which practices like mantra-japa, pūjā, tapas, and (in later Kurma Purana sections) Pāśupata-oriented sādhana are undertaken.

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

By naming both Vaiṣṇava and Hara āśramas as valid categories under one rule, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance—Śiva and Viṣṇu-oriented disciplines are treated as legitimate dharmic modes rather than mutually exclusive.