Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16

Tāmasa Sarga, the Androgynous Division of Brahmā, and the Lineages of Dharma and Adharma

Devanagari script

पत्न्यर्थं प्रतिजग्राह धर्मो दाक्षायणीः शुभाः / ताभ्यः शिष्टा यवीयस्य एकादश सुलोचनाः

Transliteration

patnyarthaṃ pratijagrāha dharmo dākṣāyaṇīḥ śubhāḥ / tābhyaḥ śiṣṭā yavīyasya ekādaśa sulocanāḥ

Translation

ازواج کے لیے دھرم نے دکش کی مبارک بیٹیوں (داکشاینیوں) کو قبول کیا؛ اور انہی سے کم تر شاخ میں گیارہ باادب، خوش چشم بیٹیاں پیدا ہوئیں۔

Word by Word

• पत्नी-अर्थम्: for the purpose of a wife
• पत्नी-अर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): 'पत्नी-सम्बन्धि अर्थः'

• प्रतिजग्राह: accepted, took (in marriage)
• प्रतिजग्राह: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्रति-

• धर्मः: Dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दाक्षायणीः: the daughters of Dakṣa (Dākṣāyaṇīs)
• दाक्षायणीः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दाक्षायणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• शुभाः: auspicious, fair
• शुभाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दाक्षायणीः)

• ताभ्यः: from them
• ताभ्यः: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Ablative/Genitive), बहुवचन; 'from them/of them'

• शिष्टाः: the remaining (ones)
• शिष्टाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; √शास्-निष्पन्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'remaining/left over' (qualifying understood 'daughters')

• यवीयस्य: of the younger (brother)
• यवीयस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यवीयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक (comparative): 'of the younger (brother)'

• एकादश: eleven
• एकादश: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; here used as संख्या-विशेषण (numeral adjective) with feminine plural

• सुलोचनाः: the fair-eyed (women)
• सुलोचनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-लोचना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'सु (good) + लोचना (eyed)'

Speaker

Suta (traditional Purana narrator) describing the Daksha–Dharma lineage

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Daksha
• Dākṣāyaṇīs (daughters of Daksha)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse does not directly teach Ātman-doctrine; it frames Dharma as a cosmic principle expressed through orderly lineage, a Purāṇic way of showing how universal order (dharma) manifests in the world.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse; it serves the Purāṇic cosmological setup that later supports dharma-based disciplines (yama/niyama, varṇāśrama duties) emphasized elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.

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

This verse is genealogical and does not mention Śiva–Viṣṇu directly; indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic synthesis by grounding spiritual teaching in dharma and cosmic order, a shared framework across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava sections of the text.