Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3

Dakṣa-yajña-bhaṅgaḥ — Dadhīci’s Teaching and the Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच वक्ष्ये नारायणेनोक्तं पूर्वकल्पानुषङ्गिकम् / त्रिकालबद्धं पापघ्नं प्रजासर्गस्य विस्तरम्

Transliteration

sūta uvāca vakṣye nārāyaṇenoktaṃ pūrvakalpānuṣaṅgikam / trikālabaddhaṃ pāpaghnaṃ prajāsargasya vistaram

Translation

سوت نے کہا—میں نارائن کے ارشاد کو بیان کروں گا جو سابقہ کلپوں کی حکایات سے وابستہ، تینوں زمانوں سے بندھا ہوا، گناہ نِیست کرنے والا اور مخلوقات کی سَرجنا کے پھیلاؤ کو تفصیل سے بتانے والا ہے۔

Word by Word

• सूतः: Sūta (the narrator)
• सूतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वक्ष्ये: I shall tell
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नारायणेन: by Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• उक्तम्: spoken
• उक्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/spoken’

• पूर्वकल्पानुषङ्गिकम्: connected with the previous aeon (kalpa)
• पूर्वकल्पानुषङ्गिकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva-kalpa-anuṣaṅgika (प्रातिपदिक; पूर्व + कल्प + अनुषङ्गिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पूर्वकल्पस्य अनुषङ्गिकम् = connected with the former kalpa)

• त्रिकालबद्धम्: bound to the three times (past/present/future)
• त्रिकालबद्धम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri-kāla-baddha (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + काल + बद्ध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (त्रिषु कालेषु बद्धम् = bound to the three times)

• पापघ्नम्: sin-destroying
• पापघ्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa-ghna (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + घ्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पापं हन्ति इति)

• प्रजासर्गस्य: of the creation of beings
• प्रजासर्गस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā-sarga (प्रातिपदिक; प्रजा + सर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रजानां सर्गः)

• विस्तरम्: the detailed account
• विस्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Suta

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Suta
• Narayana

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: by attributing the teaching to Nārāyaṇa and calling it “sin-destroying,” the verse frames sacred knowledge as purifying and time-transcending (tri-kāla), preparing the listener for insight into the enduring reality behind changing creation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is stated; the practice implied is śravaṇa (reverent hearing) of Nārāyaṇa’s teaching, treated in Purāṇic tradition as a purificatory discipline that supports dharma and inner clarity—foundational for later Yoga-oriented instruction in the text.

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

This verse centers on Nārāyaṇa as the source of the account; within the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such narration functions as a shared theological frame in which cosmic creation and liberation teachings are presented without sectarian rupture.