Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

दम्भाहङ्कारनिर्मुक्तो निन्दापैशुन्यवर्जितः / आत्मज्ञानगुणोपेतो यतिर्मोक्षमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

dambhāhaṅkāranirmukto nindāpaiśunyavarjitaḥ / ātmajñānaguṇopeto yatirmokṣamavāpnuyāt

Translation

离欲之行者（yati）若远离矫饰与我慢，舍弃诋毁与恶口中伤，具足自性之智（我知）之德，如是之人必得解脱（mokṣa）。

Word by Word

• दम्भ-अहङ्कार-निर्मुक्तः: freed from hypocrisy and ego
• दम्भ-अहङ्कार-निर्मुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दम्भ (प्रातिपदिक) + अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मुक्त (कृदन्त; निर्-√मुच् मोचने)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; (दम्भ + अहङ्कार) द्वन्द्व-समाहार as prior member + तत्पुरुष with निर्मुक्त—‘दम्भाहङ्काराभ्यां निर्मुक्तः’ (freed from hypocrisy and ego)

• निन्दा-पैशुन्य-वर्जितः: free from blame and tale-bearing
• निन्दा-पैशुन्य-वर्जितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निन्दा (प्रातिपदिक) + पैशुन्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वृज्/√वर्ज् त्यागे)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; (निन्दा + पैशुन्य) द्वन्द्व as prior member + वर्जित—‘निन्दापैशुन्येभ्यः वर्जितः’ (avoiding censure and slander)

• आत्म-ज्ञान-गुण-उपेतः: endowed with virtues of self-knowledge
• आत्म-ज्ञान-गुण-उपेतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + उपेत (कृदन्त; उप-√इ ‘to go/attain’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘आत्मज्ञानस्य गुणैः उपेतः/युक्तः’ (endowed with the qualities of self-knowledge)

• यतिः: ascetic
• यतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• अवाप्नुयात्: should attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should attain’

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) teaching the sages (Iśvara-gītā style instruction within the Upari-bhāga’s yoga-dharma discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma (Vishnu)
• Ātman
• Mokṣa
• Yati

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents liberation as grounded in ātma-jñāna (realization of the Self), treating Self-knowledge as a decisive virtue that culminates in mokṣa.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes the ethical and inner prerequisites of yoga—freedom from dambha (pretence) and ahaṅkāra (ego), and restraint of harmful speech (avoiding nindā and paiśunya)—as the foundation upon which contemplative Self-knowledge matures into liberation.

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

While not naming Śiva explicitly, the teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach: liberation is achieved through yogic-ethical purification and Self-knowledge—principles shared across Śaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaiṣṇava soteriology in this Purāṇa.