Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10

Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order

Devanagari script

नान्यत् पश्यामि जन्तूनांमुक्त्वा वाराणसीं पुरीम् / सर्वपापप्रशमनं प्रायश्चित्तं कलौ युगे

Transliteration

nānyat paśyāmi jantūnāṃmuktvā vārāṇasīṃ purīm / sarvapāpapraśamanaṃ prāyaścittaṃ kalau yuge

Translation

对一切众生而言，我不见别的忏悔法——唯有婆罗那西此城——能在迦梨世息灭诸罪。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negative particle)

• अन्यत्: anything else
• अन्यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘न अन्यत्’ = nothing else

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जन्तूनाम्: of beings
• जन्तूनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• मुक्त्वा: except, leaving aside
• मुक्त्वा: Kriya (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having left/excepting’

• वाराणसीम्: Vārāṇasī
• वाराणसीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘मुक्त्वा’ इत्यस्य कर्म (what is excepted)

• पुरीम्: city
• पुरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; वाराणसी-विशेष्य (apposition)

• सर्वपाप-प्रशमनम्: the pacification of all sins
• सर्वपाप-प्रशमनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रशमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां प्रशमनम्)

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karta (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘कलौ युगे’ = in the Kali age

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher voice within the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya context (authoritative puranic speaker addressing the audience/sages)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Varanasi (Kashi)
• Kali Yuga
• Prayaschitta
• Papa (sin)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it stresses purification (pāpa-praśamana) as a prerequisite for steady knowledge and worship; by presenting Kāśī as the foremost means of cleansing in Kali-yuga, it supports the puranic path where inner realization is aided by sanctifying disciplines and sacred space.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights prayāścitta as a yogic-ethical foundation—purification and restraint—rather than a specific technique. In the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching, such purification supports devotion, mantra-japa, and disciplined conduct that culminate in higher yoga and contemplation.

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

By exalting Vārāṇasī (classically Śiva’s sacred city) as the supreme purifier within a Vaishnava-presented Purana, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: sacred power and liberation are affirmed through shared dharmic authority rather than sectarian opposition.