Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
विभीषणाय रुद्राय नमस्ते कृत्तिवाससे / नमस्ते लेलिहानाय शितिकण्ठाय ते नमः
vibhīṣaṇāya rudrāya namaste kṛttivāsase / namaste lelihānāya śitikaṇṭhāya te namaḥ
அச்சமூட்டும் ருத்ரனே, உமக்கு வணக்கம்; ஹே க்ருத்திவாச (தோல் ஆடை அணிந்தவனே) உமக்கு நமஸ்காரம். எரியும் அগ্নிபோல் திகழ்வோனே, உமக்கு வணக்கம்; ஹே நீலகண்டனே, மீண்டும் மீண்டும் உமக்கு நமஸ்காரம்.
A devotee/narrative voice offering a hymn of praise to Rudra (within the Kurma Purana’s Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava synthesis framework)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
By praising Rudra through multiple epithets (terrifying, skin-clad ascetic, flaming power, blue-throated), the verse implies one Supreme reality manifesting diverse cosmic functions—ascetic transcendence and world-protecting immanence—pointing to a single Lord as the inner Self behind opposites.
The verse functions as japa-oriented stuti: meditative repetition of divine names (nāma-smaraṇa) to concentrate the mind on Īśvara’s attributes—fearsome power (vibhīṣaṇa), tapas/renunciation (kṛttivāsa), and transformative inner fire (lelihāna)—supporting Pāśupata-style devotion, purification, and one-pointed contemplation.
Within the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, such Rudra-praise is not sectarian rivalry but recognition of Īśvara’s unified sovereignty: Śiva is adored as the same supreme Lord whose worship aligns with Vaiṣṇava devotion, reinforcing the text’s non-competitive Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony.