Chapter summary
श्रीकूर्मक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यम् Śrī Kūrma Kṣetra Māhātmyam
The Glory of Śrī Kūrmakṣetra
**The Devotees said:**
O best of Vaishnavas, please recount the tale of King Śveta, whose profound devotion so pleased Śrī Kūrma that the Lord granted him His divine vision. (v.1)
**The Sadguru said:**
There once lived a renowned monarch, King Śvetarāja, a steadfast protector of dharma. His wife, Sulocanā, was a lady of exquisite beauty and virtue. Her mind, like a honeybee, perpetually hovered at the lotus feet of Lord Kūrmanātha, and she daily worshipped Vaishnavas and Vishnu Himself. (v.2-3)
Each day, after bathing in the sacred Amṛtatīrtha and completing her daily rites, she would circumambulate the Aśvattha tree and the Nāgarāja residing on its bank. With unwavering faith, she would then honor Brahmins learned in the Vedas, humbly offering gifts for the pleasure of Vishnu. Entering the beautiful and divine temple with due reverence, she would behold Govinda, worship Him according to scriptural injunctions, and then return to her abode, accompanied by her retinue. In the evening, she would offer a radiant row of lamps before Hari. (v.4-7)
One night, as she observed the sacred Ekādaśī vow, the king, overcome by desire, approached the queen. Frightened, yet humble, the queen bowed to him with folded hands and tear-filled eyes, speaking with profound devotion. (v.9-10)
**Sulocanā said:**
"O King," Sulocanā implored, "I am observing the Ekādaśī vow, my senses controlled. My beloved, please do not commit the great sin of breaking this sacred observance." (v.11)
**Śvetarāja said:**
"Sulocanā," Śvetarāja replied, "I have been awaiting this fertile period, and I am desirous of union. Indeed, it is a grave sin for a husband to neglect the fertile period." (v.12)
**Sulocanā said:**
"O King," she countered, "the sages and authors of the scriptures forbid conception on Ekādaśī, on the day of a father's śrāddha, and on Śivarātri." (v.13)
**Śvetarāja said:**
"Enough with scriptural discussions, dharma, and rules!" the king exclaimed. "My dear, I have come to you, utterly afflicted by desire." (v.14)
**Sulocanā said:**
"This desire, this anger, O King, is born of the quality of Rajas. It is a great devourer, a great sinner; know it to be your true enemy here. Desire is never truly pacified by the enjoyment of its objects; rather, like a fire fed with ghee, it only intensifies. What distinction, then, exists between this collection of skin, flesh, blood, sinew, fat, marrow, and bone, and the worms that delight in feces, urine, and pus? Therefore, abandon desire, become detached, and control your senses. O my lord, O king who yearns for liberation, practice devotion to Vishnu." (v.15-18)
**Śvetarāja said:**
"For virtuous women, the husband is indeed the supreme, visible deity. What fruit can your vow alone yield, O wife, if you transgress my command?" (v.19)
**Sulocanā said:**
"For disciples, the guru is the deity; for subjects, the king. For virtuous women, the husband is the deity, and for sons, their parents. The great sages teach that one should hold them in reverential esteem. Yet, O King, they do not forbid one's mind from being directly fixed upon Vishnu. Vishnu alone is father, mother, husband, brother, and guru. He is the King of kings for all, the kinsman of all, without a doubt. The primary duty of human beings is the constant service of Vishnu. All other duties, O King, should be performed in harmony with, and without conflicting with, devotion to Him." (v.20-23)
**Śvetarāja said:**
"No time should be wasted; this night is fleeting. Fulfill my desire swiftly; for me, desire is paramount." (v.24)
**Sulocanā said:**
"No time should be wasted," Sulocanā responded, "for life diminishes moment by moment. Yama [the lord of death] has no compassion; one must perform the *kīrtana* [chanting of the holy names] of Hari. Where is this contemptible body, which will eventually be called worm, excrement, or ash? The soul, O King, is pure and consists of knowledge; reflect deeply on this. The body, the senses, and the mind are the very cause of worldly existence. Abandoning them completely, O King, take refuge in Vishnu. A human birth is difficult to obtain, and the desire for liberation is even more so. Only at the culmination of many births does one become a man of wisdom, O Lord. A mortal devoid of knowledge is but an animal, constantly driven by lust. Abandon this animalistic mentality, and cultivate pure discrimination." (v.25-29)
**The Sadguru said:**
Thus lovingly instructed by his wife, the great king instantly attained dispassion for worldly objects and profound devotion to Vishnu. Filled with remorse and endowed with firm detachment, the king journeyed to Śrī Kūrmakṣetra and performed severe penance. (v.30-31)
There, Lord Ādikūrma [the Primeval Tortoise incarnation of Vishnu] granted him His personal divine vision, appearing in the form of a Śālagrāma stone, marked with a *cakra* [discus] on His back. The great king then constructed a most beautiful temple for Him and arranged for His worship by the most excellent Vaishnava Brahmins. (v.32-33)
Through the service of Vaishnavas, he attained liberation along with his wife. This indeed is that supreme, holy, and sin-destroying sacred place. Even today, this sacred site dedicated to Vishnu is seen in the world, on the shore of the eastern ocean, near Nīlācala [Puri]. (v.34-35)
I worship Śrī Kūrmanātha, the Primeval Person, who shines resplendently on the Śvetādri mountain on the shore of the eastern ocean; who is adorned by Siddheśvara; who is graced with eight auspicious ponds and the excellent and holy Hanumat-tīrthas; who manifests in the form of a Śālagrāma stone, bestowing auspiciousness, and marked with the divine conch and discus. (v.36)
Thus, the thirtieth chapter, entitled "The Glory of Śrī Kūrmakṣetra," in the First Part of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
