Shloka 77
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
तं दृष्ट्वा कालवदनं शङ्करं कालभैरवम् / रूपलावण्यसंपन्नं नारीकुलमगादनु
taṃ dṛṣṭvā kālavadanaṃ śaṅkaraṃ kālabhairavam / rūpalāvaṇyasaṃpannaṃ nārīkulamagādanu
ಕಾಲದಂತ ಮುಖವಿರುವ, ಕಾಲಭೈರವಸ್ವರೂಪ ಶಂಕರನನ್ನು—ರೂಪಲಾವಣ್ಯಸಂಪನ್ನನಾಗಿ ಕಂಡು—ಸ್ತ್ರೀಯರ ಸಮೂಹವು ಅವನನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸಿತು।
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, traditionally Sūta relating the account to the sages)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By portraying Śiva as “Time-faced” (kāla-vadana), the verse hints at the Supreme as the power that transcends and also governs time—an aspect often used in the Purāṇas to indicate the all-consuming, all-ordering reality behind appearances.
No explicit yogic technique is taught in this verse; it emphasizes darśana (transformative encounter with the deity). In the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva framework, such darśana supports bhakti and inner recollection that mature into disciplined practice (yama-niyama, mantra, and contemplative steadiness) associated with Pāśupata-oriented spirituality.
While Viṣṇu is not named here, the Kurma Purana’s overall theology frequently harmonizes Shaiva and Vaishnava devotion; this verse contributes by presenting Śiva’s fierce yet beautiful form as worthy of reverent pursuit—consistent with the text’s non-sectarian impulse to honor the Supreme through multiple divine manifestations.