Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 7

Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order

Devanagari script

तमुवाच महायोगी कृष्णद्वैपायनः स्वयम् / उपविश्य नदीतिरे शिष्यैः परिवृतो मुनिः

Transliteration

tamuvāca mahāyogī kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaḥ svayam / upaviśya nadītire śiṣyaiḥ parivṛto muniḥ

Translation

แล้วมหาโยคี กฤษณะ-ทไวปายนะ (วยาสะ) ได้ตรัสกับเขาด้วยพระองค์เอง ขณะประทับนั่ง ณ ริมฝั่งแม่น้ำ โดยมีศิษย์รายล้อม

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• महायोगी: the great yogi
• महायोगी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् योगी)

• कृष्णद्वैपायनः: Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• कृष्णद्वैपायनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वैपायन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम, कर्मधारयः (कृष्णः द्वैपायनः)

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्वकृत्ये/स्वतन्त्रार्थे (oneself, personally)

• उपविश्य: having sat down
• उपविश्य: Kriya (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-विश् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/पूर्वकाल), ‘having sat down’

• नदीतीरे: on the riverbank
• नदीतीरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नद्याः तीरम्)

• शिष्यैः: by/with (his) disciples
• शिष्यैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन

• परिवृतः: surrounded
• परिवृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘शिष्यैः परिवृतः’ = surrounded by disciples

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) introducing Vyāsa as the speaker within the dialogue frame

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
• Śiṣyas (disciples)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It does not directly define Ātman; it establishes the authoritative transmission context—Vyāsa as a mahāyogin teaching in a guru–śiṣya setting, which frames later metaphysical instruction.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights the yogic authority of Vyāsa (“mahāyogī”) and the contemplative tīrtha setting (riverbank), a classic Purāṇic backdrop for instruction that later supports yogic disciplines such as restraint, meditation, and devotion.

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

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it functions as a narrative bridge introducing Vyāsa’s teaching, within a Purāṇa known for Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava synthesis developed in subsequent passages.