Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 11

रुद्ररथ-निर्माणवर्णनम् / Description of Rudra’s Divine Chariot Construction

Devanagari script

वेगस्संवत्सरास्तस्य अयने चक्रसंगमौ । मुहूर्ता वंधुरास्तस्य शम्याश्चैव कलाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

vegassaṃvatsarāstasya ayane cakrasaṃgamau | muhūrtā vaṃdhurāstasya śamyāścaiva kalāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

Für Ihn ist die Geschwindigkeit selbst das Jahr; die beiden Bahnen des Ayana (Sonnenwenden) sind das Zusammentreffen der kosmischen Räder. Für Ihn sind die Muhūrta nur kurze Zwischenräume, und die Kalā gelten als bloße Augenblicke—so wird Seine Überzeitlichkeit gelehrt.

Word by Word

• vegaḥ: speed; impulse
• vegaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• saṃvatsarāḥ: years
• saṃvatsarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃvatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (Pronoun/सर्वनाम), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• ayane: the two solstices/half-years (ayanas)
• ayane: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Dvivacana (Dual/द्विवचन)

• cakra-saṃgamau: the two conjunctions/meetings of the cycles
• cakra-saṃgamau: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakra + saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa samāsa (तत्पुरुष): cakrasya saṃgamau (meeting of the cycles); Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Dvivacana (Dual/द्विवचन)

• muhūrtāḥ: muhūrtas (time-units)
• muhūrtāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muhūrta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• vaṃdhurāḥ: vaṃdhuras (a class/name of time-divisions)
• vaṃdhurāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṃdhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (Pronoun/सर्वनाम), Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• śamyāḥ: śamyās (a class/name of measures)
• śamyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śamyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avayava (Conjunction/समुच्चय)

• eva: indeed; just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa (Emphatic particle/अवधारण)

• kalāḥ: kalās; parts/digits/time-units
• kalāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• smṛtāḥ: are said/are remembered
• smṛtāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicative verbal idea)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Kta-pratyaya past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त); Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); used predicatively = “are said/are remembered”

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is praised as the Lord who transcends and governs kāla; the Purāṇic Mahākāleśvara tradition centers on Śiva as Time itself, granting liberation from fear of death and time-bound bondage.

Significance: Darśana/abhisheka is held to free devotees from kāla-bhaya and strengthen anugraha leading toward mokṣa.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It presents Shiva as Kāla-atiīta (beyond time): the measures by which beings are bound—years, ayanas, muhūrtas, and kalās—are shown as negligible before the Lord, implying liberation comes by taking refuge in Pati rather than in time-bound identity.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

The Liṅga symbolizes the timeless Absolute appearing in a worshipable form; by honoring Saguna Shiva through the Liṅga, the devotee approaches the Nirguna reality that is not limited by cosmic cycles (cakras) or calendrical divisions (ayana, saṃvatsara).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as the Lord of Kāla while chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya); apply Tripuṇḍra bhasma as a reminder of impermanence and contemplate that all time-units dissolve in Him.