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
Voyant ce visage divin sur le faîte du Seigneur des êtres, l’Aïeul des mondes (Brahmā) porta alors son regard—par cette même vision—sur cette splendeur redoutable et formidable, immaculée et sans reproche.
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.