Shloka 48
Glorification of Vārāṇasī: Kapardīśvara Liṅga and the Piśācamocana Tīrtha
एतद्रहस्यमाख्यातं माहात्म्यं ते कपर्द्दिनः । न कश्चिद्वेत्ति तमसा विद्वानप्यत्र मुह्यति
etadrahasyamākhyātaṃ māhātmyaṃ te kaparddinaḥ | na kaścidvetti tamasā vidvānapyatra muhyati
ഹേ കപർദിൻ (ശിവാ)! ഈ രഹസ്യം—നിന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം—പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; എങ്കിലും അജ്ഞാനതമസ്സാൽ മൂടപ്പെട്ടതിനാൽ ആരും അതിനെ യഥാർത്ഥമായി അറിയുന്നില്ല, ഇവിടെ പണ്ഡിതരും പോലും മോഹിതരാകുന്നു।
Unspecified narrator/speaker in this excerpt (context needed to confirm the dialogue frame, e.g., Pulastya→Bhīṣma or Śiva→Pārvatī).
Concept: Divine greatness is a rahasya: mere scholarship cannot pierce tamas; realization requires grace and inner purification.
Application: Balance study with sādhana: daily recitation, ethical discipline, and humble listening to realized teachers to avoid ‘vidvān api muhyati’.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage-narrator gestures toward a luminous liṅga while a veil of smoky darkness curls at the edges of the scene, symbolizing tamas. Learned figures hold palm-leaf manuscripts, yet their faces show gentle bewilderment as the secret greatness of Kaparddin remains just beyond conceptual grasp.","primary_figures":["Narrator-sage","Kaparddin’s Liṅga (symbolic presence)","learned brāhmaṇas (pandits)"],"setting":"A twilight hermitage-court with manuscript stands, ritual vessels, and a distant glow from the liṅga-shrine.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["twilight purple","lamp gold","smoke black","palm-leaf tan","ash white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a central glowing liṅga with gold leaf aura, sages and pandits with manuscripts in rich red-green garments, a dark smoky border representing tamas, ornate arch frame, embossed flame-and-lotus patterns, devotional solemnity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined scholars in a dusky courtyard, delicate shading for the creeping darkness, a soft golden shrine-glow, fine facial expressions of ‘muhyati’, lyrical trees and quiet sky.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of sages and manuscript bundles, dramatic contrast between black tamas swirls and yellow radiance around the liṅga, stylized eyes and gestures emphasizing ‘rahasya’, temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central radiance motif with ornate floral borders, scholars arranged symmetrically like attendants, dark indigo cloth ground, gold and white highlights, lotus medallions symbolizing hidden knowledge."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["rustling palm leaves","evening birds","single bell strike","low drone","wind through trees"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एतद्रहस्यमाख्यातम् = एतत् + रहस्यम् + आख्यातम्; कश्चिद्वेत्ति = कश्चित् + वेत्ति; विद्वानप्यत्र = विद्वान् + अपि + अत्र.
FAQs
Kaparddin is an epithet of Śiva, commonly understood as “the matted-haired one,” referring to his ascetic form and iconography.
It states that Śiva’s true greatness is a profound secret (rahasya) that remains unknown when covered by tamas (spiritual ignorance), and that even scholarship alone may not prevent confusion.
It cautions against pride in mere learning and points to the need for inner clarity—devotion, disciplined practice, and right understanding—to grasp sacred truths.