Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 25
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
स दृष्ट्वा वदनं दिव्यं मूर्ध्नि लोकपितामहः / तेन तन्मण्जलं घोरमालोकयदनिन्दितम्
sa dṛṣṭvā vadanaṃ divyaṃ mūrdhni lokapitāmahaḥ / tena tanmaṇjalaṃ ghoramālokayadaninditam
Al contemplar aquel rostro divino sobre la corona del Señor de los seres, el Abuelo de los mundos (Brahmā) fijó entonces la mirada—por esa misma visión—en aquel resplandor sobrecogedor y terrible, inmaculado e irreprochable.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, traditionally Sūta/Vyāsa framework) describing Brahmā’s vision
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as an “anindita” (faultless) radiance apprehended through direct vision (darśana), implying a reality that is pure, self-luminous, and beyond worldly judgment even when it appears “ghora” (awe-inspiring).
The verse emphasizes inner “ālokana” (beholding) of tejas—an image consistent with yogic contemplation where the mind becomes steady enough to perceive the divine light without fear, a theme later systematized in Kurma Purana’s Yoga-oriented teachings (including Pāśupata-inflected discipline).
By focusing on a single, blameless, overwhelming divine radiance rather than sectarian markers, the verse supports the Purāṇic non-dual tendency used in the Kurma tradition to harmonize Shaiva and Vaishnava theophanies as expressions of one supreme reality.