Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
ओङ्कारमूर्तये तुभ्यं तदन्तः संस्थिताय च / नमस्ते व्योमसंस्थाय व्योमशक्त्यै नमो नमः
oṅkāramūrtaye tubhyaṃ tadantaḥ saṃsthitāya ca / namaste vyomasaṃsthāya vyomaśaktyai namo namaḥ
Salut à Toi dont la forme est la syllabe sacrée Oṃ, et qui demeures en elle. Salut à Toi, établi dans l’éther (vyoma) ; encore et encore, salut à la Śakti de l’Éther, ta puissance qui pénètre tout.
A devotee/sage reciting a stuti within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis context (invocation to the Supreme as Oṃ and Vyoma-Śakti)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
It identifies the Supreme as both the symbol Oṃ and the indwelling reality within it—implying the Atman/Ishvara is subtle, all-pervading, and apprehended through sacred sound and inner contemplation.
The verse supports Oṃ-upāsanā (meditation on Oṃ) and vyoma-dhyāna (contemplation of space as a symbol of the formless, pervasive Absolute), aligning with Purāṇic yogic methods that move from symbol to the transcendent.
By praising the Supreme through universal categories—Oṃ, vyoma, and śakti—it reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian stance where the one Ishvara is approached through both Shaiva (śakti, īśvara) and Vaishnava (the Supreme Lord) idioms.