Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
स देवदानवादीनां देशानभ्येत्य शूलधृक् / जगाम विष्णोर्भवनं यत्रास्ते मधुसूदनः
sa devadānavādīnāṃ deśānabhyetya śūladhṛk / jagāma viṣṇorbhavanaṃ yatrāste madhusūdanaḥ
Baginda—pemegang trisula—setelah merentas wilayah para dewa, Dānava dan yang lain-lain, pun pergi ke kediaman Viṣṇu, tempat Madhusūdana bersemayam.
Narrator (Purāṇic sūta-style narration, describing Śiva’s movement toward Viṣṇu)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
By portraying Śiva approaching Viṣṇu’s abode, the verse supports the Purāṇic non-contradiction of the Supreme—different divine forms operate harmoniously, pointing to one supreme reality rather than rival ultimacies.
No explicit yogic technique is taught in this verse; instead, it frames the devotional-theological ground for practice—reverence to the Supreme in multiple forms, a key orientation behind Kurma Purana’s later Pāśupata and Ishvara-focused disciplines.
It depicts respectful convergence: Śiva (the trident-bearer) goes to Viṣṇu (Madhusūdana), reflecting the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis where the deities are cooperative manifestations within a unified sacred order.