Shloka 4
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
स मायया महेशस्य मोहितो लोकसंभवः / अविज्ञाय परं भावं स्वात्मानं प्राह धर्षिणम्
sa māyayā maheśasya mohito lokasaṃbhavaḥ / avijñāya paraṃ bhāvaṃ svātmānaṃ prāha dharṣiṇam
Maka pencipta segala dunia itu, diperdaya oleh māyā Maheśa, tidak mengenali Hakikat Tertinggi, lalu berkata dengan angkuh tentang dirinya sendiri.
Narrator (Purana narrator in the Kurma Purana’s discourse framework)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It implies that the Supreme Reality (para-bhāva) is distinct from egoic self-assertion; when one fails to discern that higher truth, even a cosmic being can mistake the limited self for the ultimate.
The verse foregrounds viveka (discernment) and the overcoming of māyā and ahaṅkāra (ego)—foundational inner disciplines that support Shaiva-Pāśupata and broader yogic practice in the Kurma Purana’s teaching style.
By presenting Maheśa’s māyā as a cosmic power that can delude even the world-originator, the text emphasizes a shared, non-sectarian metaphysics where divine powers operate within one supreme order rather than competing deities.