Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 102
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
प्रविष्टमात्रे देवेशे ब्रह्महत्या कपर्दिनि / हा हेत्युक्त्वा सनादं सा पातालं प्राप दुः खिता
praviṣṭamātre deveśe brahmahatyā kapardini / hā hetyuktvā sanādaṃ sā pātālaṃ prāpa duḥ khitā
À peine le Seigneur des dieux fut-il entré que Brahmahatyā—le péché personnifié du meurtre d’un brahmane—devant Kapardin (Śiva) s’écria « Hélas ! Hélas ! » d’une plainte retentissante; puis, accablée de douleur, elle descendit à Pātāla, le monde d’en bas.
Sūta (narrator) describing events to the sages
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
Indirectly: it portrays how the mere presence of divine lordship (Deveśa) and Kapardin (Śiva) dispels the force of grievous sin—suggesting a higher, purifying sovereignty beyond moral taint, toward which the self seeks refuge through dharma and devotion.
No technique is taught explicitly in this verse; its yogic implication is purification (śuddhi) through proximity to the Lord and adherence to dharma—an ethical foundation that later supports disciplines like Pāśupata-oriented restraint, devotion, and inner cleansing.
By placing Deveśa and Kapardin in a single purifying scene, the verse reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative theology: the divine presence—whether named through Śiva’s epithet or the lord of gods—functions harmoniously as a force that subdues adharma and removes impurity.