Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 194

Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction

Devanagari script

मातृका मन्मथोद्भूता वारिजा वाहनप्रिया / करीषिणी सुधावाणी वीणावादनतत्परा

Transliteration

mātṛkā manmathodbhūtā vārijā vāhanapriyā / karīṣiṇī sudhāvāṇī vīṇāvādanatatparā

Translation

Sie ist Mātṛkā, die Mutter aller Wesen; sie erhob sich als die Kraft hinter Kāma, dem Begehren. Aus dem Lotos geboren, liebt sie ihr göttliches Vāhana; sie ist die heilige Kuh, deren Rede süß wie amṛta ist, stets dem Spiel der Vīṇā hingegeben.

Word by Word

• मातृका: Mother; the Matṛkā
• मातृका: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—name/epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मन्मथ-उद्भूता: arisen from Manmatha (Love-god)
• मन्मथ-उद्भूता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्मथ (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भूत (कृदन्त; √भू with उद्-)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उद्भूता = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; ‘मन्मथात् उद्भूता’ इति पञ्चमी-तत्पुरुषः

• वारिजा: water-born (lotus-like)
• वारिजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वारिणः जाता’ इति (ablative/semantic) तत्पुरुषः; सामान्यतः ‘कमला/पद्मा’ (water-born)

• वाहन-प्रिया: fond of her vehicle/mount
• वाहन-प्रिया: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाहन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वाहनस्य प्रिया’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• करीषिणी: associated with cow-dung (karīṣa)
• करीषिणी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करीषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having/possessing dung’ or ‘connected with cow-dung’ (rare epithet; lexical)

• सुधा-वाणी: nectar-like speech
• सुधा-वाणी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुधा (प्रातिपदिक) + वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—सुधेव वाणी यस्याः सा / सुधारूपा वाणी

• वीणा-वादन-तत्परा: devoted to playing the vīṇā
• वीणा-वादन-तत्परा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीणा (प्रातिपदिक) + वादन (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वीणावादने तत्परा’ इति सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (locative relation)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna within the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Devi (Divine Mother/Shakti)
• Manmatha (Kama)
• Vina

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By praising the Divine Mother as the source of creative impulse (even desire) and as nectar-voiced, the verse points to the Supreme Reality manifesting as Shakti—through whom the unmanifest Self becomes knowable in creation and worship.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports upāsanā-yoga: steady contemplation through sacred sound and refinement of speech (sudhā-vāṇī), along with devotional focus on divine form and symbol (lotus, vehicle, vīṇā), which stabilizes the mind for higher Pashupata-oriented discipline.

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

Within the Ishvara Gita’s synthesis, the Devi praised here is the shared Shakti of the Supreme—worshipped across Shaiva and Vaishnava frames—showing one divine power expressed through multiple theistic languages rather than a sectarian divide.