Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 32

Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas

Devanagari script

सहस्रपरमां नित्यं शतमध्यां दशावराम् / सावित्ररिं वै जपेद् विद्वान् प्राङ्मुखः प्रयतः स्थितः

Transliteration

sahasraparamāṃ nityaṃ śatamadhyāṃ daśāvarām / sāvitrariṃ vai japed vidvān prāṅmukhaḥ prayataḥ sthitaḥ

Translation

عالم شخص نِتّیہ ساوتری (گایتری) کا جپ کرے—بہترین ہزار بار، درمیانہ سو بار، اور کم از کم دس بار—پاکیزہ و منضبط ہو کر مشرق رُخ کھڑا رہے۔

Word by Word

• सहस्र-परमाम्: up to a thousand (times)
• सहस्र-परमाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of ‘सावित्रीम्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra + paramā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; ‘having a thousand as the highest (count)’ (तत्पुरुष)

• नित्यम्: daily
• नित्यम्: Kāla/Avyaya (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (नित्यं), ‘always/daily’

• शत-मध्याम्: with a hundred as the middle (count)
• शत-मध्याम्: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘सावित्रीम्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata + madhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; ‘having a hundred as the middle (count)’ (तत्पुरुष)

• दश-अवराम्: with ten as the minimum
• दश-अवराम्: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘सावित्रीम्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa + avarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; ‘having ten as the lowest (count)’ (तत्पुरुष)

• सावित्रीम्: the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) mantra
• सावित्रीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; name of the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) mantra

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis/indeed

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (जप्) (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular; ‘should mutter/recite’

• विद्वान्: a learned person
• विद्वान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘learned man’

• प्राङ्-मुखः: facing east
• प्राङ्-मुखः: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘विद्वान्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāṅ + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘whose face is towards the east’ (बहुव्रीहि)

• प्रयतः: disciplined
• प्रयतः: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘विद्वान्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prayata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘restrained/purified’

• स्थितः: standing
• स्थितः: Viśeṣaṇa of ‘विद्वान्’
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (स्था) (धातु)
• Form: Past Active Participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘standing/remaining’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s prescribed discipline (vidhi) for Sāvitrī-japa

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī
• Gāyatrī

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It does so indirectly: by prescribing Sāvitrī-japa as a daily discipline, the verse points to inner purification and steady recollection that supports Self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna) and God-centered awareness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights mantra-yoga through japa, coupled with bodily discipline (standing), ritual purity and restraint (prayataḥ), and directional orientation (facing east), aligning with Sandhyā practice as a preparatory limb for deeper meditation.

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

This verse is practice-focused rather than sectarian: it emphasizes a shared Vedic mantra-discipline (Sāvitrī-japa) that both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions in the Kurma Purana uphold as foundational for purification and devotion.