Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5
ईचरौवाच । पुराऽसीस्त्वं महादेवि श्यामवर्णा मनस्विनी । नामार्थं च मया प्रोक्ता कालीति रहसि स्थिता
īcarauvāca | purā'sīstvaṃ mahādevi śyāmavarṇā manasvinī | nāmārthaṃ ca mayā proktā kālīti rahasi sthitā
قال إيشڤارا: «قديماً، أيتها المهاديفي، كنتِ داكنة اللون ثابتة العزم. وحين كنتِ مقيمةً في خلوةٍ، أعلنتُ لكِ معنى اسمكِ—“كالي”—سِرّاً.»
Īśvara (Śiva)
Listener: Devī (Mahādevī)
Scene: Śiva recalls an earlier time when the Goddess, dark-hued and resolute, dwelt in seclusion; he reveals the secret meaning of her name ‘Kālī’ in an intimate, quiet setting.
FAQs
Divine names carry theological meaning; a name can signify a phase of divine līlā and inner power revealed through tapas.
The narrative continues toward Prabhāsakṣetra, where Devī’s transformation and worship will be anchored.
None explicitly; the verse provides doctrinal context for Devī’s epithet and ensuing sacred acts.