Shloka 98
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
संस्तूयमानः प्रमथैर्महायोगैरितस्ततः / नृत्यमानो महायोगी हस्तन्यस्तकलेवरः
saṃstūyamānaḥ pramathairmahāyogairitastataḥ / nṛtyamāno mahāyogī hastanyastakalevaraḥ
Louvado por todos os lados pelos Pramathas—grandes yogins—ele, o Grande Yogin, dançava aqui e ali; seu corpo estava sob perfeito domínio, como se posto em sua própria mão.
Narrator (Purāṇic narration within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By portraying the Mahāyogin as fully master of the body (“hastanyasta-kalevaraḥ”), the verse implies an Atman-centered yogic ideal: the Self is sovereign over the embodied state, not driven by it.
The emphasis is on yogic mastery (mahāyoga): steadiness amid movement, disciplined control of the body-mind, and the capacity to act (even dance) without loss of inner composure—an ideal aligned with Pāśupata-leaning Śaiva yoga in the Kurma Purana.
While the verse directly praises Shiva as Mahāyogin, the Kurma Purana’s broader theology frames such yogic sovereignty as a mark of the Supreme—supporting its recurring non-sectarian vision where Shiva’s and Vishnu’s supreme qualities are mutually affirmed.