Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38

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

Devanagari script

प्रविष्टमात्रे गोविन्दे पुरीं द्वारवतीं शुभाम् / अगायन् मधुरं गानं स्त्रियो यौवनशालिनः

Transliteration

praviṣṭamātre govinde purīṃ dvāravatīṃ śubhām / agāyan madhuraṃ gānaṃ striyo yauvanaśālinaḥ

Translation

Dès que Govinda entra dans l’auspicieuse cité de Dvāravatī, les jeunes femmes, dans l’éclat de la jeunesse, se mirent à chanter de doux hymnes.

Word by Word

• प्रविष्टमात्रे: upon just entering
• प्रविष्टमात्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त; √विश् (धातु) + प्र- उपसर्ग, क्त) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘प्रविष्ट-मात्र’ = just entered; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे ‘when (he) had just entered’

• गोविन्दे: in/when Govinda (was)
• गोविन्दे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वारवतीम्: Dvāravatī (Dwaraka)
• द्वारवतीम्: Visheshya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुरी-विशेषणरूपेण (proper noun as apposition)

• शुभाम्: auspicious
• शुभाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पुरीम्/द्वारवतीम्)

• अगायन्: they sang
• अगायन्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गै (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• मधुरम्: sweet
• मधुरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (गानम्)

• गानम्: song
• गानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• यौवनशालिनः: youthful
• यौवनशालिनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यौवन + शालिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (स्त्रियः); ‘यौवन-शालिन्’ = possessing youth

Speaker

Purana narrator (Suta/Vyasa tradition) describing the scene

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Govinda (Krishna)
• Dvaravati (Dvaraka)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly, it presents Govinda as the auspicious divine presence whose mere arrival transforms the atmosphere into spontaneous devotion—hinting that proximity to the Supreme evokes joy and upliftment in embodied beings.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No technical yogic method is prescribed in this verse; it highlights bhakti as a lived practice—devotional expression (kīrtana/gāna) arising naturally upon encountering the Lord.

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

While Shiva is not named here, the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis frames such devotion to Govinda as compatible with the text’s non-sectarian vision, where reverence to the Supreme can be expressed through Vishnu-forms without contradicting Shaiva teachings elsewhere.