Shloka 46
Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rudra’s Samanvaya Teaching
Maṅkaṇaka Episode
नमः शिवायेति मुनिः जपन् पञ्चाक्षरं परम् / आराधयामास शिवं तपसा गोवृषध्वजम्
namaḥ śivāyeti muniḥ japan pañcākṣaraṃ param / ārādhayāmāsa śivaṃ tapasā govṛṣadhvajam
「ナマハ・シヴァーヤ」（namaḥ śivāya）という至上の五音真言を聖仙は念誦（ジャパ）し、苦行によって、牛を旗印とするシヴァ（Śiva）を礼拝した。
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, traditionally Sūta/Vyāsa lineage) describing the sage’s practice
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By calling the pañcākṣarī “supreme,” the verse implies that realization of the highest principle is approached through single-pointed devotion and disciplined practice—where the mind is gathered into mantra and austerity until the worshipper aligns with Śiva as the highest reality.
It highlights mantra-yoga through japa (“namaḥ śivāya”) supported by tapas (ascetic discipline). In Kurma Purana’s Pāśupata-leaning framework, mantra repetition, restraint, and sustained austerity function together as a practical path of purification and focused contemplation.
Though Śiva is directly worshipped here, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis treats devotion to Śiva as fully legitimate within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa setting—signaling complementarity rather than rivalry, and a shared orientation toward the one supreme divinity expressed through multiple forms.