Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8
Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya
पञ्चानामपि देवानां ब्रह्मादीनां सदाश्रयम् / ओङ्कारबोधकं लिङ्गं पञ्चायतनमुच्यते
pañcānāmapi devānāṃ brahmādīnāṃ sadāśrayam / oṅkārabodhakaṃ liṅgaṃ pañcāyatanamucyate
Ce Liṅga, refuge constant des cinq dieux —à commencer par Brahmā— et qui dévoile le sens de la syllabe sacrée Oṃ, est appelé Pañcāyatana, le sanctuaire quintuple.
Traditional Purāṇic narrator (contextual instruction within the Kurma Purana’s teaching on worship and synthesis)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By presenting the Liṅga as the “sadā-āśraya” (ever-abiding support) of multiple divine forms and as the revealer of Oṃ, the verse points to one underlying Supreme Reality that is signified through Oṃ and approached through diverse deities.
The verse emphasizes contemplative worship (upāsanā) through Oṃkāra-awareness: meditating on Oṃ as the unifying principle while honoring the fivefold divine manifestations, integrating mantra (Oṃ) with symbol (Liṅga) and devotional concentration.
By defining the Liṅga as a universal refuge for the principal deities and linking it to Oṃ, the verse supports a non-sectarian synthesis where Śiva’s Liṅga functions as a unifying theological center compatible with Vaiṣṇava reverence for the one Supreme indicated by Oṃ.