Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 86

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

Devanagari script

देवान् ब्रह्मःऋषींश्चैव तर्पयेदक्षतोदकैः / तिलोदकैः पितॄन् भक्त्या स्वसूत्रोक्तविधानतः

Transliteration

devān brahmaḥṛṣīṃścaiva tarpayedakṣatodakaiḥ / tilodakaiḥ pitṝn bhaktyā svasūtroktavidhānataḥ

Translation

他应以含有完整米粒之水，向诸天与婆罗门圣仙行作塔尔帕那（献水供养）；并以虔敬之心，以掺芝麻之水令祖灵（pitṛ）得满足——一切皆依其自家《家祭经》（Gṛhya-sūtra）所传之法而行。

Word by Word

• devān: the gods
• devān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• brahma-ṛṣīn: Brahmā and the sages
• brahma-ṛṣīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); द्वन्द्व-समास (itaretara-dvandva)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चयार्थक/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय)

• tarpayet: should satisfy/offer libations to
• tarpayet: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु)
• Form: Causative sense in usage (तर्पयति = तृप्-णिच्), Optative/विधिलिङ्, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• akṣata-udakaiḥ: with water containing unbroken rice-grains
• akṣata-udakaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣata (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्राय तत्पुरुष (akṣataiḥ saha udakaiḥ)

• tila-udakaiḥ: with sesame-water
• tila-udakaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tila (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural (बहुवचन); तत्पुरुष (tilaiḥ saha udakaiḥ)

• pitṝn: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• pitṝn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sva-sūtra-ukta-vidhānataḥ: according to the procedure stated in one’s own sūtra
• sva-sūtra-ukta-vidhānataḥ: Hetu/Prakaraṇa (हेतु/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + sūtra (प्रातिपदिक) + ukta (कृदन्त, क्त) + vidhāna (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (तसिल्)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय) meaning 'according to/from'; compound: 'as stated in one’s own sūtra/śrauta-smṛti rule'

Speaker

Vyasa (Purāṇic narrator instructing dharma-vidhi in the Kurma Purana)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brahmarishis
• Pitrs
• Grihya-sutra

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it frames nitya-karma (daily dharmic duties) as a purifying discipline. Such purification steadies the mind and supports higher knowledge of the Self taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana, especially in the Ishvara Gita sections.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights preparatory discipline rather than a seated technique: devotional tarpana performed by rule (vidhi) and with bhakti. In the Kurma Purana’s yogic framework, this kind of regulated purity and gratitude supports inner concentration and devotion-based yoga.

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

It does so through synthesis in practice: the Purana emphasizes orthodox dharma (tarpana to devas, ṛṣis, and pitṛs) as a shared foundation for devotion to the Supreme, whether approached through Shaiva or Vaishnava idioms elsewhere in the text.