Shloka 53

Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī

Devanagari script

नमो विज्ञानदेहाय चिन्तायै ते नमो नमः / नमस्ते कालकालाय ईश्वरायै नमो नमः

Transliteration

namo vijñānadehāya cintāyai te namo namaḥ / namaste kālakālāya īśvarāyai namo namaḥ

Translation

Вновь и вновь поклон Тебе, чьё тело — чистое сознание, о Чинта, божественная сила созерцательного постижения. Поклон Тебе, Калакала — Времени превыше времени; Владычице-Богине Ишвари — вновь и вновь моё почтение.

Word by Word

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Indeclinable particle of salutation

• vijñānadehāya: to the one whose body is consciousness/knowledge
• vijñānadehāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vijñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'vijñānasya dehaḥ'

• cintāyai: to Thought/Contemplation
• cintāyai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Dative (4th), Singular

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative (4th), Singular; enclitic

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Indeclinable particle; repetition for emphasis

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Indeclinable particle; repetition for emphasis

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Indeclinable particle

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative (4th), Singular; enclitic

• kālakālāya: to the Time of Time
• kālakālāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular; genitive-tatpuruṣa sense: 'kālasya kālaḥ' (Time of Time / Death of Time)

• īśvarāyai: to the Goddess (Īśvarī)
• īśvarāyai: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Dative (4th), Singular

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Indeclinable particle; repetition for emphasis

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: Indeclinable particle; repetition for emphasis

Speaker

A devotee/praiser within the Kurma Purana’s devotional discourse (stotra-style address to the Supreme Goddess/Īśvarī as Śakti)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Īśvarī
• Cintā
• Kālakāla

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By praising the deity as “vijñāna-deha” (whose body is consciousness), the verse points to the ultimate reality as pure awareness rather than a merely physical form—aligning devotion with a contemplative, non-dual insight.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The epithet “Cintā” foregrounds dhyāna (meditative contemplation): steady inner recollection of the Divine as consciousness itself, a key orientation consistent with Pāśupata-style discipline where devotion is joined to inward knowledge.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By centering Īśvarī/Śakti as the sovereign principle and describing Her as consciousness and transcendent time, the verse supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach: the supreme reality honored across sectarian names, with Śakti as the unifying power of Īśvara.