Shloka 124

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

शतनिष्केण वा कुर्याद्दशनिष्केण वा पुनः । पाशांकुशधरं कालं कुर्यात्पुरुषरूपिणम्

Transliteration

śataniṣkeṇa vā kuryāddaśaniṣkeṇa vā punaḥ | pāśāṃkuśadharaṃ kālaṃ kuryātpuruṣarūpiṇam

Translation

Mit einer Gabe im Wert von hundert niṣkas — oder wiederum auch nur von zehn niṣkas — soll man Kāla in Menschengestalt anfertigen lassen, mit Schlinge (pāśa) und Treibhaken (aṅkuśa) in den Händen.

Word by Word

• शतनिष्केण: with a hundred niṣkas (coins)
• शतनिष्केण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (शतं निष्काः यस्य/यत्र), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive ‘or’)

• कुर्यात्: should make/do
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• दशनिष्केण: with ten niṣkas
• दशनिष्केण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + निष्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (दश निष्काः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• पुनः: again/alternatively
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: again/further)

• पाशाङ्कुशधरम्: holding a noose and a goad
• पाशाङ्कुशधरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कुश (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्वपूर्वक तत्पुरुष (पाशौ च अङ्कुशश्च → पाशाङ्कुश; तयोः धरः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कालम्: Kāla (Time/deity)
• कालम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should make/depict
• कुर्यात्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• पुरुषरूपिणम्: in the form of a man
• पुरुषरूपिणम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (पुरुषस्य रूपं यस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: The making of Kāla with pāśa and aṅkuśa evokes the subordination of death/time to Śiva as Mahākāla; Ujjain’s jyotirliṅga tradition centers on Śiva as the ultimate regulator of saṃhāra and the limiter of Yama’s reach.

Significance: Ritual remembrance that time/death are instruments within the Lord’s order; pilgrimage and worship aim at fearlessness and right relation to mortality.

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Kāla as cosmic principle of time leading beings toward dissolution

Characters & Entities

• Kāla

FAQs

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

The verse uses Kāla (Time/Death) as a visible symbol of the binding power that limits the paśu (individual soul). In Shaiva Siddhanta, such forces are overcome by turning to Pati (Shiva), and ritual worship trains the mind to recognize Shiva as the Lord even over Kāla.

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

It reflects saguna-upāsanā (worship with form) where devotees commission sacred forms and worship with prescribed offerings. Even when worship uses images like Kāla, the theological center remains Shiva as the supreme controller of time, and Linga-worship is the primary Shaiva focus that grants liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests a ritual commissioning of a human-form icon of Kāla holding pāśa and aṅkuśa, accompanied by a prescribed monetary offering (niṣkas). As a meditative takeaway, contemplate Shiva as Mahākāla—the One who transcends and governs time—while repeating the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya).