Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 51
Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī
ब्रह्मोवाच नमो देवाय महते महादेव्यै नमो नमः / नमः शिवाय शान्ताय शिवायै शान्तये नमः
brahmovāca namo devāya mahate mahādevyai namo namaḥ / namaḥ śivāya śāntāya śivāyai śāntaye namaḥ
梵天说道：礼敬伟大的天神；再三礼敬伟大的女神。礼敬寂静的湿婆；礼敬即是安宁本身的湿婆女神。
Brahma
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By saluting Śiva as “śānta” (tranquil) and Śivā as “śānti” (peace), the verse points to the supreme principle as inner stillness—peaceful consciousness—revered in both masculine (Śiva) and feminine (Śakti) aspects.
The verse emphasizes śānti (peace) as the essential yogic aim: cultivating inner tranquility through devotion (namas), recollection of the divine, and steadying the mind—an orientation compatible with Pāśupata-leaning discipline where calmness supports contemplation and mantra-like salutation.
Though Śiva and Śakti are named explicitly, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis frames such praise as honoring the same supreme reality in different forms—supporting a non-sectarian, integrative view consistent with Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava unity.