Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 65

Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion

Devanagari script

भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादेन सर्वसंसारनाशनम् / अस्माभिर्विदितं ज्ञानं यज्ज्ञात्वामृतमश्नुते

Transliteration

bhagavaṃstvatprasādena sarvasaṃsāranāśanam / asmābhirviditaṃ jñānaṃ yajjñātvāmṛtamaśnute

Translation

噢吉祥的主啊，承蒙汝之恩典，我们得知那能摧灭一切轮回之智；知此智者，得至不死。

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• त्वत्प्रसादेन: by your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत्-प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक; components: त्वत् + प्रसाद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• सर्वसंसारनाशनम्: destroying all transmigration
• सर्वसंसारनाशनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-संसार-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; components: सर्व + संसार + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण for ज्ञानम्

• अस्माभिः: by us / we
• अस्माभिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, बहुवचन

• विदितम्: known
• विदितम्: Kriya (क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate with ज्ञानम्

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma/Prameya (कर्म/प्रमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; relative pronoun referring to ज्ञानम्

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/त्वान्त), अव्ययभाव; prior action

• अमृतम्: immortality/nectar
• अमृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अश्नुते: attains
• अश्नुते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

A disciple-like interlocutor (the inquiring sages/Indradyumna’s side) addressing Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) within the Upari-bhāga teaching context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma (Vishnu)
• Jñāna (liberating knowledge)
• Amṛta (immortality)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It points to a liberating jñāna revealed by the Lord’s grace—knowledge whose realization ends saṃsāra and yields amṛta (deathless liberation), implying the Self is known as beyond birth and death.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes prasāda (divine grace) as the decisive aid for jñāna; in the Kurma Purana’s broader discipline this aligns with Pāśupata-oriented devotion, purification, and contemplative realization culminating in liberating knowledge.

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

By presenting liberation as granted through the Lord’s grace and realized as jñāna, it fits the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology where the same Supreme Īśvara—spoken of in Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms—bestows the knowledge that ends bondage.