Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 77
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
तं दृष्ट्वा कालवदनं शङ्करं कालभैरवम् / रूपलावण्यसंपन्नं नारीकुलमगादनु
taṃ dṛṣṭvā kālavadanaṃ śaṅkaraṃ kālabhairavam / rūpalāvaṇyasaṃpannaṃ nārīkulamagādanu
Als sie ihn sahen—Śaṅkara als Kālabhairava, dessen Antlitz dem Zeitlauf selbst glich—vollendet an Schönheit und Glanz, folgte ihm die Schar der Frauen.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, traditionally Sūta relating the account to the sages)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By portraying Śiva as “Time-faced” (kāla-vadana), the verse hints at the Supreme as the power that transcends and also governs time—an aspect often used in the Purāṇas to indicate the all-consuming, all-ordering reality behind appearances.
No explicit yogic technique is taught in this verse; it emphasizes darśana (transformative encounter with the deity). In the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva framework, such darśana supports bhakti and inner recollection that mature into disciplined practice (yama-niyama, mantra, and contemplative steadiness) associated with Pāśupata-oriented spirituality.
While Viṣṇu is not named here, the Kurma Purana’s overall theology frequently harmonizes Shaiva and Vaishnava devotion; this verse contributes by presenting Śiva’s fierce yet beautiful form as worthy of reverent pursuit—consistent with the text’s non-sectarian impulse to honor the Supreme through multiple divine manifestations.