Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya
युगे युगे ह्यत्र दान्ता ब्राह्मणा वेदपारागाः / उपासते महादेवं जपन्ति शतरुद्रियम्
yuge yuge hyatra dāntā brāhmaṇā vedapārāgāḥ / upāsate mahādevaṃ japanti śatarudriyam
في كلِّ عصرٍ، في هذه البقعة المقدّسة، يعبدُ البراهمةُ المتقشّفون الذين بلغوا شاطئ الفيدا الآخر «مهاديفا»، ويتلون ترنيمة «شَتَرُدْرِيّا» المقدّسة.
Narratorial voice within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga (contextual praise of Shaiva worship aligned with Vedic practice)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
By presenting Mahādeva as the perennial object of Vedic realization and worship across yugas, the verse implies a timeless Supreme principle approached through Vedic mastery, discipline, and mantra-japa—hallmarks of realizing the highest reality.
It highlights dānta (sense-restraint) as a yogic prerequisite and japa (mantric recitation) of the Śatarudrīya as a focused devotional-ritual practice—consistent with Pāśupata-leaning Shaiva sādhanā framed within Vedic orthopraxy.
Even within a Purāṇa associated with Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu), the verse centers Vedic praise of Mahādeva, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where devotion to Śiva is affirmed as Veda-aligned and compatible with broader Purāṇic theism.