Shloka 180
Rudra’s Removal of Brahmahatyā; Kapālamocana and Avimukta Māhātmya; Origins of Nara and Karṇa
link to Arjuna/Karna query
प्राणव्ययकरेण त्वं तपसा देव दृश्यते । इदं कपालं देवेश न करात्पतितं विभो
prāṇavyayakareṇa tvaṃ tapasā deva dṛśyate | idaṃ kapālaṃ deveśa na karātpatitaṃ vibho
ឱ ព្រះទេវតា ព្រះអង្គត្រូវបានឃើញដោយតបៈដែលស្រូបយកដង្ហើមជីវិត។ ឱ ព្រះអម្ចាស់នៃទេវៈ ឱ ព្រះអង្គពេញសព្វទី—បាតក្បាលឆ្អឹងនេះមិនបានធ្លាក់ពីព្រះហស្តរបស់ព្រះអង្គទេ។
Unspecified devotee/supplicant addressing Mahādeva (Śiva) (context-dependent)
Concept: Certain divine visions are pursued through extreme tapas that consumes prāṇa; yet the symbols of such vows (kapāla) signify heavy karmic narratives and require discernment.
Application: Practice austerity with balance—choose disciplines that purify without harming body or mind; seek guidance before adopting severe vows.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Mahādeva appears as a stark ascetic, ash-smeared and radiant, holding a skull-bowl firmly—an emblem that refuses to slip from his grasp. The supplicant, trembling yet intent, witnesses the deity through the haze of punishing tapas: cracked earth, sparse flames, and the palpable sense of prāṇa being offered as fuel.","primary_figures":["Śiva (Mahādeva)","supplicant-ascetic"],"setting":"A cremation-ground edge or barren tapas-sthāna with a small dhūni fire, scattered bones suggested symbolically, and a distant silhouette of trees.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["ash white","midnight blue","ember orange","iron gray","rudraksha brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: fierce yet majestic Mahādeva with gold-leaf halo, kapāla in hand, tiger-skin drape, rudrākṣa garlands, the supplicant kneeling beside a stylized dhūni fire; rich reds and greens in borders, heavy ornamentation contrasting with ash-smeared body, temple-arch frame with embossed gold.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet moonlit cremation-ground rendered with delicate brushwork, Śiva slender and luminous, kapāla highlighted, soft smoke curling upward, cool blues and grays, the ascetic supplicant in ochre, emotional restraint and refined facial features.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Śiva with large eyes and serene-fierce expression, kapāla clearly iconized, natural pigment palette dominated by reds/yellows/greens with ash-white body, rhythmic patterns for smoke and flames, mural-like symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: stylized lotus border juxtaposed with a central Śiva figure holding kapāla, intricate floral motifs framing a stark tapas scene, deep indigo background with gold accents, symbolic rather than gory cremation-ground elements, ornate textile patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant drum (ḍamaru) pulse","wind over dry ground","low conch","crackling fire","long silences"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: करात्पतितम् = करात् + पतितम्; अन्यत्र स्पष्टपदविभागः।
FAQs
It states that the deity becomes perceptible through intense tapas (austerity), and it addresses the Lord with reverence while invoking the image of a kapāla (skull-bowl) that has not slipped from his hand.
In Shaiva imagery, kapāla commonly symbolizes asceticism, renunciation, and the transcendence of worldly purity/impurity; the verse uses it as a devotional marker while addressing the Lord.
The verse emphasizes disciplined spiritual effort (tapas) and steadfast devotion—suggesting that true vision of the divine is attained through sustained, life-transforming practice.