Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 28

Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta

Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman

Devanagari script

न धर्मयुक्तमनृतं हिनस्तीति मनीषिणः / तथापि च न कर्तव्यं प्रसङ्गो ह्येष दारुणः

Transliteration

na dharmayuktamanṛtaṃ hinastīti manīṣiṇaḥ / tathāpi ca na kartavyaṃ prasaṅgo hyeṣa dāruṇaḥ

Translation

Sinasabi ng mga pantas na ang di-katotohanang ginamit sa paglilingkod sa dharma ay hindi nakapipinsala; gayunman, hindi pa rin ito dapat sandigan, sapagkat ito’y isang kakila-kilabot na pintuang-bukas na madaling humantong sa mabibigat na bunga.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• dharma-yuktam: connected with dharma / justified by dharma
• dharma-yuktam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त, √yuj धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण; 'धर्मेण युक्तम्' इति तत्पुरुषसमास (neuter sg acc/nom; adjectival)

• anṛtam: falsehood, untruth
• anṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular, neuter)

• hinasti: harms, injures
• hinasti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hiṃs (हिंस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Present indicative, 3rd sg)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• manīṣiṇaḥ: the wise (sages)
• manīṣiṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manīṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural, masculine)

• tathā api: nevertheless
• tathā api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययद्वयम्; 'तथापि' = विरोधार्थक (concessive: nevertheless)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• kartavyam: to be done / should be done
• kartavyam: Vidhi/Prayojya (विधेय/कर्तव्यता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartavya (कृदन्त, √kṛ धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: 'to be done')

• prasaṅgaḥ: consequence, occasion, entanglement
• prasaṅgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prasaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular, masculine)

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: indeed/for)

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Visheshya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Pronoun, nominative singular, masculine)

• dāruṇaḥ: terrible, dreadful
• dāruṇaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (Nominative singular, masculine; adjective)

Speaker

Traditional narration in Kurma Purana’s dharma-upadeśa context (sage-teaching within the Purva-bhaga frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Satya (Truth)
• Anṛta (Falsehood)
• Manīṣiṇaḥ (the wise)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it points to inner discipline: safeguarding truthfulness is a yama that steadies the mind, making it fit for Self-knowledge; excuses for falsehood agitate the conscience and obstruct inward clarity.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It emphasizes ethical restraint (yama), especially satya (truthfulness). Even if a lie seems ‘dharma-serving,’ the verse warns against forming a habit-pattern (saṁskāra) that destabilizes the practitioner’s steadiness and tapas.

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

By grounding spiritual progress in dharma and self-restraint, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s unified Shaiva-Vaishnava ethic: devotion and yoga—whether oriented to Shiva or Vishnu—require the same moral foundation, especially satya.