Shloka 40
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
यस्य ब्रह्मादयो देवा ऋषयो ब्रह्मवादिनः / अर्चयन्ति सदा लिङ्गं विश्वेशः खलु दृश्यते
yasya brahmādayo devā ṛṣayo brahmavādinaḥ / arcayanti sadā liṅgaṃ viśveśaḥ khalu dṛśyate
Der, dessen Liṅga stets von Brahmā und den übrigen Göttern sowie von den Rishis, die das Brahman verkünden, verehrt wird—er wird wahrhaft als Viśveśa, der Herr des Universums, geschaut.
Lord Kurma (Viṣṇu) instructing the sages, presenting Śiva-tattva in a Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By identifying the universally revered liṅga as Viśveśa, the verse points to a single supreme Lord manifest as the cosmic ground (Brahman) whom even Brahmā and Brahman-knowing sages worship—implying the Supreme Self as one, all-pervading sovereignty.
The verse foregrounds upāsanā (devotional contemplation) through liṅga-arcana—steady worship that trains attention, purity, and surrender, aligning with the Kūrma Purāṇa’s Pāśupata-oriented discipline where devotion and inner concentration converge.
With Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) praising Viśveśa (Śiva) as the universally worshipped Lord, it reflects the Purāṇa’s non-sectarian theology: Viṣṇu teaches Śiva’s supremacy in worship, presenting their unity as one Īśvara-tattva.