Shloka 21

Matsya Purana — Mahāgaurī’s Entry

Devanagari script

अथ रुद्रो महागौरीं गौरीं दृष्ट्वा तु सुन्दरीम् चित्तव्यामोहनाकारां करीन्द्रोन्मत्तगामिनीम् //

Transliteration

atha rudro mahāgaurīṃ gaurīṃ dṛṣṭvā tu sundarīm cittavyāmohanākārāṃ karīndronmattagāminīm //

Translation

Then Rudra, seeing the beautiful Mahāgaurī—Gaurī herself—whose form bewilders and enchants the mind, and whose gait is like that of an elephant-lord in rut, (was struck with wonder).

Word by Word

• atha: then

• rudraḥ: Rudra (Śiva)

• mahāgaurīm: Mahāgaurī (the great fair/bright goddess)

• gaurīm: Gaurī (Pārvatī)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen

• tu: indeed

• sundarīm: the beautiful one

• citta-vyāmohana-ākārām: whose form (ākāra) causes delusion/enchantment (vyāmohana) of the mind (citta)

• karīndra-unmatta-gāminīm: having a gait (gāminī) like an elephant-king (karīndra) in musth/rut (unmatta).

Speaker

• Sūta (narrator) describing the episode (third-person narration within the Matsya Purana frame)

Entities Mentioned

• Rudra
• Mahāgaurī
• Gaurī

Tags

• Shaiva narrative
• Devi iconography
• Poetic description
• Puranic storytelling
• Goddess forms

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse is not about pralaya; it is a poetic, iconographic-style description of Mahāgaurī (Gaurī) and Rudra’s perception of her captivating form.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

Directly it does not prescribe rājadharma or gṛhastha-dharma; indirectly, it reflects Purāṇic ideals of reverence toward the Divine Feminine and disciplined contemplation of sacred forms rather than ordinary desire.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

While no explicit Vāstu rule is stated, the verse functions like pratima-lakṣaṇa (iconographic praise): it highlights visual qualities (radiance/beauty, enthralling form, distinctive gait) that can guide devotional visualization and, by extension, artistic depiction in temple imagery.