Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 74

Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas

Devanagari script

उदुत्यं चित्रमित्येते तच्चक्षुरिति मन्त्रतः / हंसः शुचिषदेतेन सावित्र्या च विशेषतः

Transliteration

udutyaṃ citramityete taccakṣuriti mantrataḥ / haṃsaḥ śuciṣadetena sāvitryā ca viśeṣataḥ

Translation

“Ud utyaṃ citram…”以及“Tac cakṣur…”——这些即为真言。凭借这些真言，尤其凭借萨维特丽（Sāvitrī，即伽雅特丽 Gāyatrī），应观想“哈ṃ萨”（Haṃsa）——住于光明界的清净者（内在自性“so’ham”）。

Word by Word

• udutyam: (the mantra) ‘Ud utyam’
• udutyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ud + utya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन; मन्त्रनाम (name of a mantra/hymn)

• citram: (the mantra) ‘Citram’
• citram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन; मन्त्रनाम

• iti: thus/‘…’
• iti: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), इति-समाप्त्यर्थक (quotative)

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), बहुवचन (Pl.)

• tat-cakṣuḥ: (the mantra) ‘Tat-cakṣuḥ’
• tat-cakṣuḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad + cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन; मन्त्रनाम ‘that eye’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), quotative

• mantrataḥ: by means of mantras / as mantras
• mantrataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), ‘according to/through mantra’

• haṃsaḥ: (the mantra) ‘Haṃsa’
• haṃsaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (Sg.); मन्त्रनाम (Hamsa-mantra)

• śuciṣad: (the mantra) ‘Śuciṣad’
• śuciṣad: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuciṣad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन; मन्त्रनाम ‘Śuciṣad’

• etena: by this
• etena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr. 3), एकवचन (Sg.)

• sāvitryā: by the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī)
• sāvitryā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāvitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr. 3), एकवचन (Sg.)

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

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb), ‘especially’

Speaker

A Purana narrator (Vyasa/Suta-style narration) presenting mantra-based contemplation instructions in the Kurma Purana’s teaching stream

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Haṃsa
• Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī)
• Savitṛ (solar deity principle)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It points to the Haṃsa as the pure, luminous indweller—realized through mantra and contemplation—indicating the Self as the inner witness (the ‘divine eye’) rather than merely an external deity.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Mantra-japa and dhyāna: recitation/usage of Vedic solar mantras (e.g., “Ud utyaṃ citram…”, “Tac cakṣur…”) with special emphasis on Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī), culminating in Haṃsa (so’ham) contemplation aligned with inner purification.

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

By centering realization on the Haṃsa/Supreme Self accessed through mantra and purity, it supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the ultimate is one (Ishvara/Atman) and is approached through shared yogic-mantric discipline beyond sect labels.