Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 94

Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni

Devanagari script

सर्वस्वदानं विधिवत् सर्वपापविशोधनम् / चान्द्रायणं चविधिना कृच्छ्रं चैवातिकृच्छ्रकम्

Transliteration

sarvasvadānaṃ vidhivat sarvapāpaviśodhanam / cāndrāyaṇaṃ cavidhinā kṛcchraṃ caivātikṛcchrakam

Translation

Ang pag-aalay ng lahat ng pag-aari ayon sa wastong tuntunin ay tagapaglinis ng lahat ng kasalanan; gayundin, kapag isinagawa ayon sa batas, ang panatang Cāndrāyaṇa at ang mga penitensiyang Kṛcchra at Ati-kṛcchra ay nakapaglilinis din ng sala.

Word by Word

• सर्वस्वदानम्: giving away all one’s wealth
• सर्वस्वदानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वस्व + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘gift of all one’s possessions’), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative; contextually as item enumerated), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• विधिवत्: according to injunction
• विधिवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb: according to rule)

• सर्वपापविशोधनम्: purifier of all sins
• सर्वपापविशोधनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + पाप + विशोधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative: ‘purification of all sins’), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative; as predicate/epithet of the rite), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• चान्द्रायणम्: Cāndrāyaṇa (penance)
• चान्द्रायणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चान्द्रायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative; as item enumerated), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विधिना: by the prescribed method
• विधिना: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine)

• कृच्छ्रम्: Kṛcchra (penance)
• कृच्छ्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative; as item enumerated), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• अतिकृच्छ्रकम्: Atikṛcchraka (very severe penance)
• अतिकृच्छ्रकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति + कृच्छ्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष/अव्ययीभावसदृश (prefixal: ‘very severe kṛcchra’), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative; as item enumerated), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the dharma-teaching of the Kurma Purana’s discourse on prāyaścitta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Cāndrāyaṇa
• Kṛcchra
• Ati-kṛcchra

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It does not directly define Ātman; it teaches the dharmic principle that inner and outer purification is supported by disciplined vows and selfless giving, which in the Purāṇic framework prepares the mind for higher knowledge.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Rather than meditation techniques, the verse highlights preparatory disciplines—dāna (selfless giving) and prāyaścitta-vratas like Cāndrāyaṇa and Kṛcchra—seen as purifying supports for sādhana and steadiness (niyama) in Yoga-oriented life.

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

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s unifying dharma-ethos where purification through right conduct and vows is presented as universally valid across Shaiva-Vaishnava devotional paths.