Vamana Purana — Daksha's Sacrifice & Kapalin Rudra, Shloka 48
Daksha’s Sacrifice and the Origin of Kapalin Rudra (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)
तृतीया न्यपतद् धारा कपाले रौद्रदर्शने तस्माच्छिशुः समभवत् संनद्धकवचो युवा
tṛtīyā nyapatad dhārā kapāle raudradarśane tasmācchiśuḥ samabhavat saṃnaddhakavaco yuvā
The third stream fell into a skull of terrifying, Rudra-like appearance. From that, a child came into being—yet like a youth, clad in tightly fastened armor.
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FAQs
The passage underscores that even what appears fearsome (the skull motif) can be a vessel of purposeful manifestation—suggesting that dharma may require protective, martial energies alongside ascetic ones.
Primarily sarga-like etiological material (origin of a being from a divine event). If the youth is later identified with a known figure, it can also support vamśānucarita indirectly.
Kapāla and ‘raudra’ imagery indicate transformation through Śiva’s liminal symbols (death/renunciation) into protective power (armor), uniting ascetic and warrior archetypes in a single birth-image.