Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation

Devanagari script

कोटाः पिपीलिकाश्चैव ये चान्ये मृगपक्षिणः / कालेन निधनं प्राप्ता अविमुक्ते वरानने

Transliteration

koṭāḥ pipīlikāścaiva ye cānye mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ / kālena nidhanaṃ prāptā avimukte varānane

Translation

Ôi người đẹp mặt, ngay cả côn trùng và kiến, cùng các loài khác như thú rừng và chim chóc, cũng đã gặp cái chết tại Avimukta, bị Thời gian (Kāla) cuốn đi.

Word by Word

• कोटाः: multitudes; crores
• कोटाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पिपीलिकाः: ants
• पिपीलिकाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिपीलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; also
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (particle of emphasis)

• ये: who; those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'ye')

• मृगपक्षिणः: beasts and birds
• मृगपक्षिणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग + पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (mṛgāḥ ca pakṣiṇaḥ ca)

• कालेन: by time; in course of time
• कालेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• निधनम्: death; destruction
• निधनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्ताः: having attained; having met (death)
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/विधेय (predicate: 'having reached')

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kashi)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/स्थानवाचक-नाम, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्थानाधिकरण

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (वरम् आननम् यस्याः)

Speaker

Narrator within the Kurma Purana’s Avimukta-mahatmya discourse (addressing a female interlocutor, 'varānane')

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kala (Time)
• Avimukta (Kashi/Varanasi)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By stressing that all embodied beings—down to ants—are overcome by Time, the verse indirectly points to the Atman as that which must be sought beyond perishable bodily existence.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is named in this verse; its function is preparatory—cultivating vairagya (dispassion) by contemplating death and impermanence, a key foundation for Yoga and liberation-oriented practice in the Kurma Purana.

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

The verse is primarily about Avimukta and Kala; within the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such tirtha-mahatmya passages typically support a non-sectarian view where liberation is aligned with the one Supreme Reality revered through Shiva/Vishnu forms.