Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany

Devanagari script

काश्चिद् भूषणवर्याणि स्वाङ्गादादाय सादरम् / भूषयाञ्चक्रिरे कृष्णं कामिन्यो लोकभूषणम्

Transliteration

kāścid bhūṣaṇavaryāṇi svāṅgādādāya sādaram / bhūṣayāñcakrire kṛṣṇaṃ kāminyo lokabhūṣaṇam

Translation

Certaines jeunes femmes éprises, retirant avec respect leurs plus beaux ornements de leurs propres corps, parèrent Kṛṣṇa, Lui qui est l’ornement des mondes.

Word by Word

• kāścit: some (women)
• kāścit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• bhūṣaṇa-varyāṇi: excellent ornaments
• bhūṣaṇa-varyāṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + varya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘excellent ornaments’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural (बहुवचन)

• svāṅgāt: from their own bodies
• svāṅgāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘sva-aṅga’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (पञ्चमी/5), Singular (एकवचन)

• ādāya: having taken
• ādāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + dā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having taken’

• sādaram: respectfully
• sādaram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa-ādara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय), accusative used adverbially

• bhūṣayān: adorning (in order to adorn)
• bhūṣayān: Kriyā-aṅga (क्रिया-अङ्ग)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhūṣ (धातु)
• Form: Desiderative/causative? Here: Causative stem bhūṣaya- (णिच्), present participle (शतृ) Masculine Accusative Singular used with kṛ (periphrastic perfect construction)

• cakrire: they did/they adorned
• cakrire: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, perfect), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); periphrastic perfect with bhūṣayān

• kṛṣṇam: Kṛṣṇa
• kṛṣṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāminyaḥ: lovely women
• kāminyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• loka-bhūṣaṇam: the ornament of the world
• loka-bhūṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘lokasya bhūṣaṇam’; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to kṛṣṇam

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) describing Kṛṣṇa-līlā to the sages

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Gopis

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling Kṛṣṇa “the ornament of the worlds,” the verse implies that divine beauty and value are not added to the Supreme by external objects; rather, all adornment derives its meaning from Him, the inner ground of splendor.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No technique is taught explicitly; the verse models bhakti as a yogic mood—reverent offering (ārpaṇa-bhāva) and one-pointed attention on the Lord—supporting inner recollection akin to devotional dhyāna.

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

It does not name Śiva directly, but it aligns with the Purāṇa’s non-sectarian theology: the Supreme is self-luminous and complete, so all auspicious qualities (śrī, tejas, bhūṣaṇa) are inherent—an idea shared across both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva presentations in the Kūrma Purāṇa.