Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 11

Saṃnyāsa-dharma — Qualifications, Threefold Renunciation, and the Conduct of the Yati

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी मिताहारो ग्रामादन्नं समाहरेत् / अध्यात्ममतिरासीत निरपेक्षो निरामिषः

Transliteration

brahmacārī mitāhāro grāmādannaṃ samāharet / adhyātmamatirāsīta nirapekṣo nirāmiṣaḥ

Translation

作为梵行者（brahmacārin），饮食当节制，应从村落乞取资身之食。令心志安住于内在之我，离于期待，不食肉，亦不沉溺于感官之乐。

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘ब्रह्मणि चरति’

• मिताहारः: moderate in diet
• मिताहारः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मित (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ‘मितः आहारः यस्य’ (moderate in food)

• ग्रामात्: from the village
• ग्रामात्: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; ablative ‘from the village’

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समाहरेत्: should collect
• समाहरेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should collect/bring’

• अध्यात्ममतिः: one whose mind is on the inner Self
• अध्यात्ममतिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of आसीत)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यात्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘अध्यात्मे मतिः’ (mind fixed on the Self)

• आसीत: should remain
• आसीत: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्-आदेशरूप (injunctive/imperative-like usage), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘should sit/remain/be’

• निरपेक्षः: without expectation
• निरपेक्षः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरपेक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘without expectation’

• निरामिषः: without meat; free from sensual indulgence
• निरामिषः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरामिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘without meat/without sensual bait’

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the path of discipline and yoga-oriented conduct

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma (Vishnu)
• Brahmacārin

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By urging “adhyātma-mati” (a mind turned inward), the verse frames realization as an inner orientation: the seeker stabilizes attention in the Self rather than in external acquisition or pleasure.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights foundational yogic restraints: mitāhāra (measured diet), simplicity in livelihood (collecting food without hoarding), and vairāgya-like non-expectation (nirapekṣa), which support steadiness for meditation and adhyātma-vicāra.

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

Indirectly: the discipline taught by Lord Kūrma aligns with the shared Shaiva–Vaishnava yogic ethic (restraint, purity, inner contemplation), reflecting the Purana’s synthesizing spirit even when no explicit Shiva–Vishnu statement appears in this line.