Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

कल्पेकल्पेखिलंविश्वं कालयेद्यः स्वलीलया । तं कालं कलयित्वा यो महाकालो भवत्किल

Transliteration

kalpekalpekhilaṃviśvaṃ kālayedyaḥ svalīlayā | taṃ kālaṃ kalayitvā yo mahākālo bhavatkila

Translation

Der, der in jedem Kalpa das ganze Weltall durch sein göttliches Spiel auflöst—da er die Zeit selbst bezwungen hat—wird wahrlich Mahākāla genannt, die Große Zeit.

Word by Word

• कल्पे: in an aeon (kalpa)
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कल्पे: in (each) kalpa
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या वितरणार्थः (each)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विश्वम्)

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कालयेत्: would dissolve/bring to an end
• कालयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: काल्/कल् (धातु) (कालयति = समयं नयति/संहरति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• स्वलीलया: by his own play
• स्वलीलया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; महत्त्वे करणम्

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कलयित्वा: having reckoned/considered
• कलयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल् (धातु) → कलयितुम् (तुमुन्) → कलयित्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having done)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवत्: is/becomes
• भवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक (particle: indeed/it is said)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (deity) / Mahākālapurī (kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic vision: Mahākāla as Śiva towering beyond the cycles of kalpas, with galaxies dissolving into His presence; Time personified is subdued, while the city-temple below glows as His earthly seat.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Kāla
• Kalpa
• Viśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Mahākāla transcends and governs Time; remembering Him anchors one in the eternal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s sphere is implied; the surrounding passage links this greatness to Mahākāla-purī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is doctrinal, defining Mahākāla’s supremacy over Time.