Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 52

Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct

Devanagari script

न्युप्य पिण्डांस्तु तं हस्तं निमृज्याल्लेपभागिनाम् / तेषु दर्भेष्वथाचम्य त्रिरायम्य शनैरसून् / तदन्नं तु नमस्कुर्यात् पितॄनेव च मन्त्रवित्

Transliteration

nyupya piṇḍāṃstu taṃ hastaṃ nimṛjyāllepabhāginām / teṣu darbheṣvathācamya trirāyamya śanairasūn / tadannaṃ tu namaskuryāt pitṝneva ca mantravit

Translation

Sau khi đặt các piṇḍa, người ấy nên lau sạch bàn tay đã dính phần dành cho kẻ thọ thực đồ thừa. Rồi trên cỏ darbha, thực hành ācamana và ba lần điều tức nhẹ nhàng. Kế đó, người thông hiểu thần chú hãy cung kính đảnh lễ lễ vật cơm ấy như đang đảnh lễ chính các Pitṛ (Tổ tiên).

Word by Word

• ni-upya: having placed down
• ni-upya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√vap/ni√up (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), with prefix ni-; sense: 'having placed/installed (down)'

• piṇḍān: rice-balls
• piṇḍān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: piṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात) indicating contrast/continuation

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; demonstrative pronoun qualifying hastam

• hastam: hand
• hastam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• nimṛjyāt: should wipe/clean
• nimṛjyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√mṛj (धातु)
• Form: Verb; Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada; 'should wipe/clean'

• lepa-bhāginām: of the recipients of the lepa (smear/remnant)
• lepa-bhāginām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lepa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāgin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; Tatpuruṣa: 'of those who partake of the smear/remnant' (i.e., those entitled to the lepa)

• teṣu: on those
• teṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural; 'in/on those'

• darbheṣu: on the darbha grasses
• darbheṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), discourse particle (निपात): 'then/next'

• ācamya: having performed ācamana
• ācamya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√cam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्); 'having sipped water (ācamana)'

• triḥ: three times
• triḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: triḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb of frequency (संख्यावाचक क्रियाविशेषण): 'thrice'

• āyamya: having restrained
• āyamya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√yam (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्); 'having restrained/controlled' (esp. breath)

• śanaiḥ: slowly
• śanaiḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): 'slowly, gently'

• asūn: breaths (vital airs)
• asūn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; 'breaths/vital airs'

• tad: that
• tad: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; demonstrative qualifying annam

• annam: food
• annam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• tu: and/then
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle (निपात)

• namaskuryāt: should salute
• namaskuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: namas√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Verb; Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada; 'should salute/pay homage'

• pitṝn: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitṝn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• iva: as/like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), particle of comparison (उपमा-निपात)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), conjunction (समुच्चय)

• mantra-vit: one who knows the mantras
• mantra-vit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + vid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; Tatpuruṣa: 'knower of mantras'

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the prescribed Śrāddha procedure as taught in the Kurma Purana tradition)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Darbha grass
• Piṇḍa
• Ācamana
• Prāṇa (vital breaths)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: by prescribing prāṇa-restraint and mantra-discipline even within Śrāddha, it implies that inner steadiness (control of prāṇa and mind) sanctifies action—pointing toward the Atman-centered purity that underlies ritual efficacy.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It explicitly includes ācamana followed by thrice-performed gentle prāṇa-niyama (breath regulation/restraint). This reflects the Purāṇic integration of yogic discipline into karmakāṇḍa, aligning ritual acts with inward concentration.

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

This specific verse is primarily ritual-instructional and does not name Śiva or Viṣṇu; its synthesis appears in method—yogic prāṇa-discipline (often emphasized in Śaiva/Pāśupata streams) is embedded within a Vaiṣṇava-Purāṇic dharma framework, showing practical non-sectarian integration.