Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 15

Viṣṇupadī Gaṅgā: Descent, Cosmic Pathways, and Śiva’s Praise of Saṅkarṣaṇa

Devanagari script

इलावृते तु भगवान् भव एक एव पुमान्न ह्यन्यस्तत्रापरो निर्विशति भवान्या: शापनिमित्तज्ञो यत्प्रवेक्ष्यत: स्त्रीभावस्तत्पश्चाद्वक्ष्यामि ॥ १५ ॥

Transliteration

ilāvṛte tu bhagavān bhava eka eva pumān na hy anyas tatrāparo nirviśati bhavānyāḥ śāpa-nimitta-jño yat-pravekṣyataḥ strī-bhāvas tat paścād vakṣyāmi.

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī dit : Dans la contrée appelée Ilāvṛta-varṣa, le seul être masculin est Bhagavān Bhava (Śiva). Aucun autre homme ne peut y pénétrer. Bhavānī (Durgā) connaît la raison de sa malédiction : quiconque ose entrer y est aussitôt changé en femme. J’expliquerai cela plus tard.

Synonyms

• ilāvṛte: in Ilāvṛta (varṣa)
• ilāvṛte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ilāvṛta (प्रातिपदिक; स्थाननाम)
• Form: Neuter (place-name), Locative (7th), Singular

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• bhagavān: the Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• bhavaḥ: Bhava (Śiva)
• bhavaḥ: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhava (प्रातिपदिक; शिव-नाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; apposition to bhagavān

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with bhavaḥ/pumān

• eva: alone/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle (निपात)

• pumān: a male person
• pumān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pumān/puman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• hi: for/indeed
• hi: Sambandha (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) giving reason/emphasis

• anyaḥ: any other (person)
• anyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun-substantive; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक)

• aparaḥ: another
• aparaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; reinforces 'other'

• nirviśati: enters
• nirviśati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√viś (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• bhavānyāḥ: of Bhavānī (Pārvatī)
• bhavānyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• śāpa-nimitta-jñaḥ: knower of the cause of the curse
• śāpa-nimitta-jñaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + nimitta (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; qualifies bhavaḥ; 'knowing the cause of the curse'

• yat: which/that (fact)
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun; Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of vakṣyāmi (understood: 'that which')

• pravekṣyataḥ: of one who would enter / upon entering
• pravekṣyataḥ: Kāla/Hetu (काल/हेतु-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (धातु)
• Form: Periphrastic future/लुट् (or simple future sense), Parasmaipada; Genitive singular used as absolutive-like construction (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध) meaning 'upon entering/if one enters'

• strī-bhāvaḥ: female state (becoming a woman)
• strī-bhāvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate noun

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; object of vakṣyāmi

• paścāt: later
• paścāt: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paścāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• vakṣyāmi: I shall explain
• vakṣyāmi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Simple future (लृट्), Parasmaipada, 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular

Characters & Entities

• Bhava (Śiva)
• Bhavānī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about Ilāvṛta-varṣa?

This verse states that in Ilāvṛta-varṣa, Lord Śiva alone remains the male, and other men do not enter; anyone who enters is said to become a woman due to Bhavānī’s curse.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī mention Bhavānī’s curse here?

While describing Jambūdvīpa’s regions, Śukadeva indicates a special rule governing Ilāvṛta-varṣa and promises to explain later the cause and effect of Bhavānī’s curse connected with entry into that realm.

What is a practical lesson from this shloka for modern life?

It highlights that divine realms operate under higher laws and that one should approach sacred topics with humility, respecting boundaries and the unseen consequences of actions.