Varaha Purana 97.30: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 30

The Glory of Rudra: The Origin of the Kapālamocana Pilgrimage Site and Rudra’s Expiatory Vow

Devanagari script

कपालमोचनं तीर्थं ततो जातमघापहम् ॥ गङ्गाम्भसि ततः स्नाप्य विश्वेशं पूज्य भक्तितः

Recitation with translationVaraha Purana 97.30

Transliteration

kapālamocanaṃ tīrthaṃ tato jātam aghāpaham || gaṅgāmbhasi tataḥ snāpya viśveśaṃ pūjya bhaktitaḥ

Translation

ആ സംഭവത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ‘കപാലമോചന’ എന്ന തീർത്ഥം ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചു; അത് പാപനാശിനി. തുടർന്ന് ഗംഗാജലത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് ഭക്തിയോടെ വിശ്വേശ്വരനെ പൂജിക്കണം.

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Word by Word

• kapālamocanam: (the) Kapālamocana (skull-release)
• kapālamocanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kapāla + mocana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: कपाले मोचनम्/कपालस्य मोचनम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन

• tīrtham: holy ford; pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; अपादान/विशेष्यभावे 'kapālamocanam' इत्यस्य समानाधिकरण

• tataḥ: thereupon; from that
• tataḥ: Hetu/Anantara (हेतु/अनन्तर)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-अर्थ (from that/thereupon)

• jātam: arisen; born
• jātam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त, past participle) 'जात' = arisen/come into being; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; 'tīrtham' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• agha-apaham: sin-removing
• agha-apaham: Guṇa (गुण/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agha + apaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: अघं अपहन्ति इति (sin-removing); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; 'tīrtham' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• gaṅgā-ambhasi: in the waters of the Gaṅgā
• gaṅgā-ambhasi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā + ambhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: गङ्गायाः अम्भसि (in the water of Gaṅgā); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then/thereafter)

• snāpya: having bathed
• snāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snap (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) 'स्नाप्य' = having bathed/caused to bathe; क्रियाविशेषणभाव

• viśveśam: Viśveśa (Lord of all)
• viśveśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: विश्वस्य ईशः (Lord of the universe); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• pūjya: having worshipped
• pūjya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pūj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) 'पूज्य' = having worshipped; क्रियाविशेषणभाव

• bhaktitaḥ: devoutly; with devotion
• bhaktitaḥ: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-अर्थ (from devotion / devoutly)

Speaker

Varāha (default narrative voice)

Tags

• Sacred Geography
• Tīrtha-Māhātmya
• Gaṅgā Traditions
• Śaiva Cultic Toponyms

FAQs

What is the historical significance of this verse?

It documents a typical Purāṇic tīrtha protocol—site etiology, followed by a prescribed sequence of bathing and worship—useful for reconstructing medieval pilgrimage imaginaries.

Which geographic location is identified?

The Gaṅgā is explicitly named; Kapālamocana is identified as a tīrtha associated with Gaṅgā waters and the worship of Viśveśa (a Śiva epithet).

What is the primary ethical instruction?

The verse frames purification as a disciplined practice: ritual bathing coupled with devoted worship, presented as a culturally sanctioned means of moral and ritual restoration.