Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 14

Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation

Devanagari script

गोचर्ममात्रामपि वा यो भूमिं संप्रयच्छति / ब्राह्मणाय दरिद्राय सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

gocarmamātrāmapi vā yo bhūmiṃ saṃprayacchati / brāhmaṇāya daridrāya sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

凡将土地布施给贫困的婆罗门者，纵使仅如一张牛皮之量，亦能解脱一切罪业。

Word by Word

• गोचर्ममात्राम्: a measure/amount of cowhide (i.e., as much land as a cowhide)
• गोचर्ममात्राम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-चर्म-मात्रा (प्रातिपदिक; गो + चर्मन् + मात्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive determinative): गोचर्मस्य मात्रा

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); अपि = even/also

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nom. 1), एकवचन (sg.); सम्बन्धबोधक यः (relative pronoun)

• भूमिम्: land
• भूमिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Acc. 2), एकवचन (sg.)

• संप्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• संप्रयच्छति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.)

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dat. 4), एकवचन (sg.)

• दरिद्राय: poor
• दरिद्राय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), चतुर्थी विभक्ति (Dat. 4), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषणम् (qualifier) ब्राह्मणाय

• सर्वपापैः: from all sins
• सर्वपापैः: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-पाप (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + पाप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), तृतीया विभक्ति (Inst. 3), बहुवचन (pl.); कर्मधारयः: सर्वाणि पापानि

• प्रमुच्यते: is freed, is released
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (sg.); कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (passive sense)

Speaker

Traditional Purāṇic narrator (Vyāsa/Śaunaka-style discourse) teaching dāna-dharma within the Kurma Purana

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Bhūmi (land)
• Dāna (gift)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes karmic purification through dharma (dāna). By reducing pāpa through selfless giving, the mind becomes fit for higher knowledge—classically, the discernment of Ātman taught elsewhere in the Purāṇa’s yoga and jñāna sections.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific āsana or meditation is described; the practice here is karma-yoga in a dhārmic form—charity given with right intention. Such dāna supports inner purity (śuddhi), which the Kurma Purana treats as a foundation for yoga, devotion, and Pāśupata-oriented discipline.

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

The verse itself is non-sectarian: it frames dharma as universally purifying, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where righteous action and inner purity are upheld as common ground for devotion to Īśvara.