Varaha Purana 97.34: Adhyaya 97, Shloka 34
The Glory of Rudra: The Origin of the Kapālamocana Pilgrimage Site and Rudra’s Expiatory Vow
भव रुद्र विरूपाक्ष लोकमार्गे व्यास्थितः ॥ व्रतानि कुरु ते देव त्वच्छीर्णानि महाप्रभो ॥ कपालं गृहीत्वा यद्भ्रान्तं कपालव्यग्रपाणिना ॥ तद्व्रतं नग्नकपालं भविष्यति नृणां भुवि
bhava rudra virūpākṣa lokamārge vyāsthitaḥ || vratāni kuru te deva tvacchīrṇāni mahāprabho || kapālaṃ gṛhītvā yad bhrāntaṃ kapālavyagrapāṇinā || tad vrataṃ nagnakāpālaṃ bhaviṣyati nṛṇāṃ bhuvi
«Ó Bhava, ó Rudra, ó Virūpākṣa—firmado no caminho do mundo—cumpre, ó Deus, as observâncias sagradas, ó grande Senhor, aquelas por ti assumidas. Esse vagar, tomando na mão a tigela-crânio, com a mente atenta ao crânio, tornar-se-á entre os homens na terra o voto chamado “Nagnakāpāla”.»
Brahmā
FAQs
It exemplifies how Purāṇic texts systematize lived ascetic behaviors into named observances (vrata), offering evidence for the textual codification of religious practices.
No specific location is named; the verse universalizes the practice as something that will exist ‘among humans on earth’ (nṛṇāṃ bhuvi).
The verse frames disciplined observance and self-regulation as a means of aligning extraordinary ascetic conduct with ‘lokamārga’ (world-order).
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