Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
प्रोच्चारन्तौ महानादमोङ्कारं परमं पदम् / प्रह्वाञ्जलिपुटोपेतौ शंभुं तुष्टुवतुः परम्
proccārantau mahānādamoṅkāraṃ paramaṃ padam / prahvāñjalipuṭopetau śaṃbhuṃ tuṣṭuvatuḥ param
พวกเขาเปล่งเสียง ‘โอม’ อันกึกก้องด้วยมหานาท—เป็นปรมบทอันสูงสุด แล้วก้มศีรษะประนมมือเป็นอัญชลี สรรเสริญพระศัมภูผู้สูงสุด
Narratorial voice (Purāṇic narrator describing the devotees’ act of worship)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
By calling Oṃkāra the “paramaṃ padam” (supreme state/abode), the verse points to the Supreme reality as accessible through the primordial sound-symbol Oṃ—indicating a transcendent ground that devotionally culminates in the Supreme (here praised as Śambhu).
The verse highlights mantra-yoga centered on Oṃ (praṇava), combined with embodied devotion—bowing (praṇāma) and añjali—suggesting a Pāśupata-leaning discipline where sound (nāda), reverence, and focused praise stabilize the mind toward īśvara-bhāva.
Even without naming Viṣṇu, the Kurma Purana’s broader frame supports a synthesis: the supreme principle is approached through Oṃ and praised as Śambhu, reflecting a non-sectarian tendency where the highest reality is honored through Śaiva language within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa.