Shloka 9

Gṛhapati’s Vow: Turning Grief into Mṛtyuñjaya–Mahākāla Sādhana (गृहपतेः प्रतिज्ञा—मृत्युंजय-महाकालजपः)

Devanagari script

मृत्युंजयं समाराध्य गर्वज्ञं सर्वदं सताम् । जपिष्यामि महाकालं सत्यं तातौ वदाम्यहम्

Transliteration

mṛtyuṃjayaṃ samārādhya garvajñaṃ sarvadaṃ satām | japiṣyāmi mahākālaṃ satyaṃ tātau vadāmyaham

Translation

Nachdem ich Mṛtyuñjaya gebührend verehrt habe—ihn, der allen Hochmut erkennt und bezwingt und den Frommen jede Gabe gewährt—werde ich den Namen Mahākālas im Japa wiederholen. Geliebter Vater, ich spreche die Wahrheit zu dir.

Word by Word

• मृत्युञ्जयम्: Mṛtyuñjaya (conqueror of death)
• मृत्युञ्जयम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + जय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मृत्योः जयः’ (conqueror of death)

• समाराध्य: having worshipped
• समाराध्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/absolutive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√राध् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund); ‘having worshipped/propitiated’

• गर्वज्ञम्: knower of pride
• गर्वज्ञम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier of Mṛtyuñjaya)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘गर्वं जानाति’ (knower of pride)

• सर्वदम्: giver of all
• सर्वदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + द (दा धातु-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘सर्वं ददाति’ (giver of all)

• सताम्: of the good (people)
• सताम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• जपिष्यामि: I will chant
• जपिष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• महाकालम्: Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘महान् कालः’

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/adverbial)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (as adverbial ‘truly’)

• तातौ: O dear ones (two)
• तातौ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), द्विवचन

• वदामि: I say
• वदामि: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the dialogue within Śatarudra Saṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla as the Lord of Time: the devotee turns to the Death-conquering Śiva (Mṛtyuñjaya) and performs japa of Mahākāla—echoing Ujjayinī’s Mahākāleśvara identity where Śiva is worshipped as Kāla’s master.

Significance: Protection from untimely death (akāla-mṛtyu), removal of fear, and strengthening of dharma through devotion to Mahākāla/Mṛtyuñjaya.

Mantra Metadata

Type: mahamrityunjaya

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Direct confrontation of Mṛtyu/Kāla through the ‘kāla-atiīta’ Lord: Mahākāla (Time’s master) and Mṛtyuñjaya (Death’s conqueror).

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Mṛtyuñjaya)
• Shiva (Mahākāla)

FAQs

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

The verse presents Śiva as Mṛtyuñjaya (the Conqueror of Death) and Mahākāla (the Lord of Time), teaching that sincere upāsanā and japa, grounded in truthfulness and humility (freedom from garva), draws Śiva’s grace that protects and uplifts the sādhaka toward liberation.

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

By invoking specific epithets—Mṛtyuñjaya and Mahākāla—the verse emphasizes Saguna Śiva worship, where the devotee approaches the one Supreme (Pati) through named forms and qualities often contemplated in Liṅga-upāsanā and mantra-japa.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It directly suggests mantra-japa (repetition) of Mahākāla after proper ārādhana (devotional propitiation) of Mṛtyuñjaya, with an inner discipline of satya (truthfulness) and the surrender of pride—key supports for Shaiva sādhana.