Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
अथैतत् सर्वमखिलं दृष्ट्वा कर्म महामुनिः / मार्कण्डेयो हसन् कृष्णं बभाषे मधुरं वचः
athaitat sarvamakhilaṃ dṛṣṭvā karma mahāmuniḥ / mārkaṇḍeyo hasan kṛṣṇaṃ babhāṣe madhuraṃ vacaḥ
Da er die ganze Tat in ihrer Fülle geschaut hatte, wandte sich der große Weise Mārkaṇḍeya lächelnd mit sanften, süßen Worten an Kṛṣṇa.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the scene)
Primary Rasa: hasya
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Indirectly: it frames a teaching moment where a realized ṛṣi responds after witnessing a significant karmic event—suggesting that true insight expresses itself as calm, clarity, and measured speech rather than agitation.
No specific technique is named in this verse; however, the sage’s composed, smiling response after observing action reflects yogic steadiness (samatva) and mastery over reactive emotion—an implied fruit of disciplined practice.
This verse does not explicitly mention Śiva; it supports the Kurma Purāṇa’s broader synthesis by portraying sacred dialogue and dharmic instruction around Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa, a narrative mode also used for Śaiva teachings elsewhere in the text.