Bāṇa’s Śiva-bhakti and the Genealogy of Kaśyapa’s Descendants
Manvantara Lineages
मूर्धन्याधाय तल्लिङ्गं शांभवं भीतवर्जितः / निर्गत्य तु पुरात् तस्मात् तुष्टाव परमेश्वरम्
mūrdhanyādhāya talliṅgaṃ śāṃbhavaṃ bhītavarjitaḥ / nirgatya tu purāt tasmāt tuṣṭāva parameśvaram
Dengan meletakkan liṅga Śāmbhava itu di atas kepalanya, bebas daripada ketakutan, dia pun keluar dari kota itu lalu memuji Parameśvara, Tuhan Yang Maha Agung.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator recounting the devotee’s act of worship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
By calling Śiva “Parameśvara,” the verse points to a single supreme reality worthy of stuti; the devotee’s fearlessness suggests grounding in the higher Lord beyond worldly insecurity.
The act of bearing the liṅga on the head and offering praise reflects devotional discipline (bhakti) aligned with the Pāśupata ethos—reverence, surrender, and inner steadiness (abhaya) as a spiritual practice.
Within the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, Parameśvara is upheld as the supreme object of worship without sectarian fear; this supports the Purāṇic non-contradiction where Śaiva devotion harmonizes with Vaiṣṇava narration.