Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 11

Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation

Devanagari script

श्रोत्रियाय कुलीनाय विनीताय तपस्विने / वृत्तस्थाय दरिद्राय प्रदेयं भक्तिपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

śrotriyāya kulīnāya vinītāya tapasvine / vṛttasthāya daridrāya pradeyaṃ bhaktipūrvakam

Translation

Hãy bố thí với lòng sùng kính và tôn kính: cho vị Śrotriya thông hiểu Veda, cho người thuộc dòng dõi và hạnh kiểm cao quý, cho người khiêm nhu, cho bậc khổ hạnh, và cho người nghèo sống bằng phương tiện chính đáng.

Word by Word

• श्रोत्रियाय: to a learned Vedic scholar
• श्रोत्रियाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रोत्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• कुलीनाय: to a well-born (person)
• कुलीनाय: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with implied recipient

• विनीताय: to a disciplined/humble (person)
• विनीताय: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनीत (प्रातिपदिक; past participle used adjectivally)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• तपस्विने: to an ascetic
• तपस्विने: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• वृत्तस्थाय: to one established in right conduct
• वृत्तस्थाय: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत्त-स्थ (प्रातिपदिक; वृत्त + स्थ)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• दरिद्राय: to a poor person
• दरिद्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular (एकवचन)

• प्रदेयम्: should be given
• प्रदेयम्: Karya (कार्य/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-दा (धातु) → प्रदेय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Gerundive/तव्यत्, Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• भक्ति-पूर्वकम्: with devotion, devoutly
• भक्ति-पूर्वकम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भक्ति + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound used adverbially (क्रियाविशेषण), Neuter accusative singular form functioning as indeclinable

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing on dāna-dharma

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma (Vishnu)
• śrotriya
• tapasvin

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: by urging devotional, righteous giving, it teaches purification of the mind (citta-śuddhi), which is presented in the Kurma Purana as a key support for realizing the Self beyond ego and possessiveness.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes karma-yoga in a dharmic form: selfless giving with bhakti. Such disciplined action supports inner purification, a prerequisite repeatedly linked in the Kurma Purana’s Yoga-oriented teaching stream (including Pāśupata-leaning ethics) to steadiness in meditation.

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

Though not naming Shiva, the teaching reflects the Purana’s synthesis: devotion (bhakti) and ascetic virtue (tapas) are honored as universally dharmic, aligning Vaishnava devotion with Shaiva-ascetic values rather than opposing them.