Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10

Genealogies of Yadus and Vṛṣṇis; Navaratha’s Refuge to Sarasvatī; Rise of Sāttvata Tradition; Prelude to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Incarnation

Devanagari script

वपुष्मतो बृहन्मेधा श्रीदेवस्तत्सुतो ऽभवत् / तस्य वीतरथो विप्रा रुद्रभक्तो महाबलः

Transliteration

vapuṣmato bṛhanmedhā śrīdevastatsuto 'bhavat / tasya vītaratho viprā rudrabhakto mahābalaḥ

Translation

وپُشمان سے بُرہنمیधा پیدا ہوا اور اس کا بیٹا شری دیو تھا۔ اے وِپرو! شری دیو کا بیٹا ویتَرَتھ—بہت زورآور اور رُدر (شیو) کا بھکت تھا۔

Word by Word

• vapuṣmataḥ: of Vapuṣmān
• vapuṣmataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapuṣmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी) or Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; here genealogical sense = Genitive 'of Vapuṣmān'

• bṛhanmedhāḥ: Bṛhanmedhā
• bṛhanmedhāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhat-medhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; proper name; compound: bṛhat (great) + medhas (intelligence)

• śrīdevaḥ: Śrīdeva
• śrīdevaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; proper name; compound: śrī (splendor) + deva (god)

• tat-sutaḥ: his son
• tat-sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + suta (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक + प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; genitive-tatpuruṣa: 'his son'

• abhavat: was/became
• abhavat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ (लङ्, imperfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• vītarathaḥ: Vītaratha
• vītarathaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīta-ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; proper name; tatpuruṣa: vīta (gone/passed) + ratha (chariot)

• viprāḥ: O Brahmins
• viprāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Plural; address to Brahmins

• rudrabhaktaḥ: devotee of Rudra
• rudrabhaktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudra-bhakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying vītarathaḥ; tatpuruṣa: rudra (Rudra) + bhakta (devotee)

• mahābalaḥ: very strong
• mahābalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective qualifying vītarathaḥ; compound: mahā (great) + bala (strength)

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) addressing the sages (brāhmaṇas) in a genealogical account

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Vapuṣmat
• Bṛhanmedhā
• Śrīdeva
• Vītaratha
• Rudra (Śiva)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse is primarily genealogical and does not directly teach ātman-doctrine; indirectly, it frames dharma through exemplars—here, a powerful ruler defined by devotion (bhakti), a common Purāṇic pathway toward realizing the Supreme.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific yogic technique is stated; the emphasis is on rudra-bhakti (devotion to Śiva), which in the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva framework aligns with disciplined worship, mantra, and observance as supportive means for spiritual attainment.

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

By presenting a revered lineage member as a devotee of Rudra within the Kurma Purana’s Vaishnava narration, it supports the text’s integrative stance: devotion to Śiva is honored within a Purāṇic universe where sectarian paths converge toward the one supreme reality.