Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 15
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
सामवेद उवाच येनेदं भ्राम्यते चक्रं यदाकाशान्तरं शिवम् / योगिभिर्विद्यते तत्त्वं महादेवः स शङ्करः
sāmaveda uvāca yenedaṃ bhrāmyate cakraṃ yadākāśāntaraṃ śivam / yogibhirvidyate tattvaṃ mahādevaḥ sa śaṅkaraḥ
Der Sāmaveda sprach: Er, durch den dieses kosmische Rad in Bewegung gesetzt wird, und der als glückverheißende Wirklichkeit im weiten Raum des Himmels waltet—jene Wahrheit, die die Yogis erkennen—Er ist Mahādeva, Er ist Śaṅkara.
Sāmaveda (personified Veda, praising Śiva)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It identifies the highest Reality (tattva) as that which yogins directly realize, describing it as the inner, auspicious principle pervading even space—named here as Mahādeva/Śaṅkara.
The verse emphasizes yogic realization (yogibhir vidyate) rather than ritual alone—pointing to contemplative insight into the tattva that governs the cosmic cycle (cakra), consistent with Pāśupata-oriented inner discipline in the Ishvara-Gītā context.
By presenting Śiva as the supreme tattva that sustains cosmic order and is known through yoga, it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology where the supreme Lord is one reality praised through different divine names, harmonizing Shaiva and Vaishnava devotion.