Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 8
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
किं कारणमिदं ब्रह्मन् वर्तते तव सांप्रतम् / अज्ञानयोगयुक्तस्य न त्वेतदुचितं तव
kiṃ kāraṇamidaṃ brahman vartate tava sāṃpratam / ajñānayogayuktasya na tvetaducitaṃ tava
اے برہمن! اس وقت تم پر یہ کیفیت کیوں طاری ہوئی ہے، اس کا سبب کیا ہے؟ اَگیان کے یوگ سے وابستہ ہونا تمہارے شایانِ شان نہیں۔
A questioning sage/disciple addressing a revered Brahman (contextual interlocutor within the Kurma Purana’s Upari-bhaga discourse)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By condemning “ajñāna-yoga” (being yoked to ignorance), the verse implies that true realization aligns with knowledge (jñāna) and right discipline—states compatible with the Self’s clarity, not with delusion.
The verse functions as a diagnostic: it rejects any ‘yoga’ that is merely attachment to ignorance. In the Kurma Purana’s yoga-teaching frame (often aligned with Pāśupata-oriented discipline), authentic practice is that which removes ajñāna through right understanding, restraint, and devotion to Īśvara.
While not naming them directly, the verse fits the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian method: true yoga is defined by freedom from ignorance and alignment with Īśvara’s teaching—supporting the text’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis rather than a narrow sectarian identity.