Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन तत् तत् फलमभीप्सता / द्विजेषु देवता नित्यं पूजनीया विशेषतः

Transliteration

tasmāt sarvaprayatnena tat tat phalamabhīpsatā / dvijeṣu devatā nityaṃ pūjanīyā viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Vì thế, ai mong cầu những quả báo tương ứng, phải dốc hết mọi nỗ lực mà luôn thờ kính thần tính hiện diện nơi các dvija—đặc biệt và nhất là như vậy.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु/Reason-Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (masc./neut.), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative/5th), एकवचन (singular)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (descriptive) ‘सर्वः प्रयत्नः’ (all effort); पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular), पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगे (repetition for emphasis)

• तत्: that (very)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular), पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगे (repetition for emphasis)

• फलम्: result
• फलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• अभीप्सता: by one desiring (it)
• अभीप्सता: Karta (कर्ता/Agent - instrumental of agent/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhi-√āp (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (present participle/शतृ), ‘अभीप्सत्’ = desiring; पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular) — ‘(by/for) one who desires’

• द्विजेषु: among/in brāhmaṇas (twice-born)
• द्विजेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative/7th), बहुवचन (plural)

• देवता: the deity (deities collectively)
• देवता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (adverbial accusative), नित्यं = always

• पूजनीया: to be worshipped / should be worshipped
• पूजनीया: Kriya (क्रिया/Obligation predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pūj (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: अनीयर्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/future passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular), देवता इति विशेष्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable adverb), विशेषार्थ (especially)

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s teaching as received from the sages), within a dharma-instruction context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Dvija
• Devatā

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it teaches that the divine (devatā) is to be recognized and honored as present in worthy beings; reverence toward dharmic persons becomes a practical way to align one’s conduct with the sacred order that supports realization.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes ethical and devotional discipline rather than a technique: sustained reverence (nitya-pūjā) and humility toward dvijas is presented as a karma-yoga foundation that purifies intention and supports higher Shaiva-Vaishnava sadhana taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.

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

By focusing on devatā as an immanent sacred presence worthy of worship, it supports the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance: devotion is directed to the divine principle manifest in proper forms, harmonizing sectarian boundaries within dharma.