Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 56

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

Devanagari script

दोषाणां दर्शनाच्चैव द्वापरे ज्ञानसंभवः / एषा रजस्तमोयुक्ता वृत्तिर्वै द्वापरे स्मृता

Transliteration

doṣāṇāṃ darśanāccaiva dvāpare jñānasaṃbhavaḥ / eṣā rajastamoyuktā vṛttirvai dvāpare smṛtā

Translation

正因诸过失被觉察，于是到了二分时代（Dvāpara），辨别之智（viveka）便生起。此种生活之行相，夹杂着激性（rajas）与昏性（tamas），被记为二分时代的特征。

Word by Word

• दोषाणाम्: of faults
• दोषाणाम्: सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन

• दर्शनात्: from seeing/observation
• दर्शनात्: अपादान (अपादान/Source-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/पञ्चमी-अपादान), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: अवधारण (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara (age)
• द्वापरे: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ज्ञान-सम्भवः: arising of knowledge
• ज्ञान-सम्भवः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ज्ञानस्य सम्भवः)

• एषा: this
• एषा: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• रजस्-तमो-युक्ता: endowed with rajas and tamas
• रजस्-तमो-युक्ता: विशेषण (of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + युक्त (कृदन्त, √युज्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; रजस्+तमस् इति द्वन्द्व-समास, तेन युक्ता (युक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)

• वृत्तिः: tendency/condition
• वृत्तिः: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: अवधारण (assertive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of assertion)

• द्वापरे: in Dvāpara
• द्वापरे: अधिकरण (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वापर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी-अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्मृता: is remembered/called
• स्मृता: कर्म (कर्म/Predicate complement in passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृत (कृदन्त, √स्मृ)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘(इति) स्मृता’ = ‘is remembered/called’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages/seekers on dharma and yuga-characteristics

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Dvapara-yuga
• rajas
• tamas
• jñāna

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By implying that true knowledge (jñāna) arises through discerning defects (doṣa-darśana) in conditioned life, the verse points toward Atman-realization as a discriminative turning away from rajas–tamas and toward inner clarity.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes viveka (discernment) as a yogic foundation: noticing the limitations of rajas and tamas supports vairāgya (detachment) and steadies practice—central to Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-dharma framework, including Pāśupata-oriented discipline and purification of conduct (vṛtti-śuddhi).

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

While not naming Shiva directly, the teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: the same Supreme Lord who teaches as Kurma (Vishnu) also upholds the Shaiva yogic emphasis on purifying vṛttis and transcending rajas–tamas—showing unity in doctrine and goal.