Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 31

Śrāddha-Kāla-Nirṇaya: Proper Times, Nakṣatra Fruits, Tīrtha Merit, and Offerings for Ancestral Rites

Devanagari script

गयां प्राप्यानुषङ्गेण यदि श्राद्धं समाचरेत् / तारिताः पितरस्तेन स याति परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

gayāṃ prāpyānuṣaṅgeṇa yadi śrāddhaṃ samācaret / tāritāḥ pitarastena sa yāti paramāṃ gatim

Translation

若至伽耶，纵然只是偶然到达，而能如法修行施祖祭（śrāddha），则以此功行令其祖先得度，行者亦证至上归趣。

Word by Word

• gayām: Gayā
• gayām: Gati-karma (गतिकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — “Gayā” (as destination)

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु) + lyap (कृत्)
• Form: प्र+आप्-धातु, ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive) — “having reached”

• anuṣaṅgeṇa: incidentally; on that occasion
• anuṣaṅgeṇa: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anuṣaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental used adverbially) — “incidentally/along with (that occasion)”

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional) — “if”

• śrāddham: śrāddha offering
• śrāddham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — “śrāddha rite”

• samācaret: should perform
• samācaret: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-car (धातु)
• Form: सम्+आ+चर्-धातु, विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — “should perform”

• tāritāḥ: are delivered
• tāritāḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛ (धातु) + ṇic + kta (कृत्)
• Form: तॄ-धातु (to cross) causative (णिच्) → तारयति; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — “having been delivered”

• pitaraḥ: ancestors
• pitaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — “ancestors”

• tena: by him/thereby
• tena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — “by him/thereby”

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — “he”

• yāti: attains
• yāti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: या-धातु, लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — “goes/attains”

• paramām: supreme
• paramām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण — “supreme” (qualifying gatim)

• gatim: destination/state
• gatim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — “state/goal”

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing sages (as part of tīrtha-māhātmya and dharma teaching)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• Pitṛs
• Śrāddha

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it frames “paramā gati” (the highest end) as attainable through dharmic action done with right observance; in the Kūrma Purāṇa’s synthesis, such karma supports inner purification that culminates in knowledge of the Self and liberation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No formal āsana/dhyāna is stated; the verse emphasizes karma-yoga through śrāddha at a powerful tīrtha. In the Kūrma Purāṇa’s broader discipline, such rites are supports for śuddhi (purity) that steady the mind for higher yoga and devotion.

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

It does so implicitly through the Purāṇa’s integrated dharma-teaching: Viṣṇu as Kūrma teaches a rite central to ancestral and tīrtha traditions often shared across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava practice, presenting liberation as accessible through unified dharma rather than sectarian division.