Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57
यः क्षीराब्धेर्मंदराघातजातो ज्वालामाली कालकूटोति भीमः । तं सोढुं वा को परोऽभून्महेशाद्यत्कीलाभिः कृष्णतामाप विष्णुः
yaḥ kṣīrābdhermaṃdarāghātajāto jvālāmālī kālakūṭoti bhīmaḥ | taṃ soḍhuṃ vā ko paro'bhūnmaheśādyatkīlābhiḥ kṛṣṇatāmāpa viṣṇuḥ
ذلك السمّ الرهيب «كالاكوطا»—المُتوَّج بلهيبٍ متّقد—انبثق من محيط اللبن حين ضربه جبلُ ماندارا. فمن ذا الذي يطيق حمله غيرَ ماهيشا؟ حتى فيشنو اسودّ لشدّة شواظه ومخاليبه المحرِقة.
Satyavatī’s son (Vyāsa) continuing the stotra to Maheśa (deduced from immediate context)
Scene: The flaming Kālakūṭa rises from the Milk-Ocean during the churning; Śiva alone bears it, while even Viṣṇu is darkened by its scorching prongs.
FAQs
Śiva’s compassion is shown as cosmic self-sacrifice—bearing the world’s poison so others may live and flourish.
Kāśī indirectly—this stotra to Viśvanātha in Kāśī magnifies Śiva’s universal saving power.
None; the verse is mythic-theological praise (stotra) rather than a ritual injunction.