Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 10

Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge

Devanagari script

वासन्तैः शारदैर्मेध्यैर्मुन्यन्नैः स्वयमाहृतैः / पुरोडाशांश्चरूंश्चैव विधिवन्निर्वपेत् पृथक्

Transliteration

vāsantaiḥ śāradairmedhyairmunyannaiḥ svayamāhṛtaiḥ / puroḍāśāṃścarūṃścaiva vidhivannirvapet pṛthak

Translation

以春秋之时清净而合仪的食物——由自己亲手采集的贤者之食——应依法分别制备并奉献祭饼（puroḍāśa）与熟供（caru）。

Word by Word

• वासन्तैः: vernal (spring)
• वासन्तैः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• शारदैः: autumnal
• शारदैः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मेध्यैः: pure, fit for sacrifice
• मेध्यैः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मेध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मुनि-अन्नैः: with sages’ food / forest-grains
• मुनि-अन्नैः: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थे-अव्यय (indeclinable: 'oneself')

• आहृतैः: brought/collected
• आहृतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + हृ (धातु) + आहृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) 'brought'; पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुरोडाशान्: puroḍāśa cakes (oblations)
• पुरोडाशान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोडाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चरून्: cooked oblations (caru)
• चरून्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विधिवत्: according to the prescribed rule
• विधिवत्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb: 'according to rule')

• निर्वपेत्: should offer/lay out (as oblation)
• निर्वपेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + वप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीतिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'separately')

Speaker

Narrator (Vyasa/paurāṇika narrator) describing ritual procedure within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teachings

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• puroḍāśa
• caru
• havis
• muni

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it frames disciplined, purified action (vidhivat karma) as a support for inner clarity—preparing the ground in which knowledge of the Self can arise, a theme consistent with the Purana’s synthesis of karma and jñāna.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A preparatory discipline rather than a seated technique: purity (medhya), restraint and simplicity (munyanna), and careful rule-following (vidhivat) are presented as yogic supports—ethical-ritual foundations that steady the mind for higher practice.

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

By emphasizing orthodox sacrificial order and purity, it aligns with the shared Vedic ground honored by both Shaiva and Vaishnava streams in the Kurma Purana—where right action and purification are common gateways to realizing the one Supreme.