Shloka 44

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

Devanagari script

पुष्पं वा यदि वा पत्रं यत्पादयुगले जलम् / दत्त्वा तरति संसारं रुद्रो ऽसौ दृश्यते किल

Transliteration

puṣpaṃ vā yadi vā patraṃ yatpādayugale jalam / dattvā tarati saṃsāraṃ rudro 'sau dṛśyate kila

Translation

पुष्पं वा पत्रमेव वा यत्पादयुगले जलम् । दत्त्वा तरति संसारं रुद्रोऽसौ दृश्यते किल ॥

Word by Word

• पुष्पम्: a flower
• पुष्पम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• यदि: if
• यदि: सम्बन्ध (Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional: if)

• वा: or
• वा: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—विकल्पार्थक निपात (or)

• पत्रम्: a leaf
• पत्रम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: in which/where
• यत्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• पाद-युगले: at the pair of (his) feet
• पाद-युगले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युगल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पादयोः युगलम् = pair of feet)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• दत्त्वा: having offered
• दत्त्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal), ‘having given/offered’

• तरति: crosses
• तरति: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• संसारम्: worldly existence
• संसारम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• असौ: that (he)
• असौ: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ

• दृश्यते: is seen/appears
• दृश्यते: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे (appears)

• किल: indeed/it is said
• किल: निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—निपात (indeed/it is said)

Speaker

Lord Śiva (Rudra) teaching a bhakti-yoga principle within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Pāda-yugala (the Lord’s feet)
• Saṃsāra

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that liberation is accessed through surrender at the Lord’s feet: the finite self, purified by devotion and grace, transcends saṃsāra and realizes a divine state described here as “becoming Rudra,” i.e., attaining identity in qualities with the Supreme.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A bhakti-based sādhana aligned with Pāśupata ethos: pāda-sevā (reverent service at the Lord’s feet) through minimal offerings (flower/leaf/water), emphasizing inner devotion over elaborate ritual as a direct means to cross saṃsāra.

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

By presenting liberation as “Rudra-attainment” through worship at the Lord’s feet, it reflects the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the Supreme is approached through devotion, and the realized fruit is expressed in Śaiva language (Rudrahood) without denying the underlying unity of Hari and Hara.