Shloka 44

Devanagari script

कलाकाष्ठानिमेषादि कालसूत्रस्य गोचरे यस्य शक्तिर् न शुद्धस्य प्रसीदतु स नो हरिः

Transliteration

kalākāṣṭhānimeṣādi kālasūtrasya gocare yasya śaktir na śuddhasya prasīdatu sa no hariḥ

Translation

Möge Hari uns gnädig sein—Er, dessen Macht nicht einmal im makellosen Lauf des Zeitfadens eingeschlossen ist, obgleich die Zeit in kalā, kāṣṭhā, nimeṣa und anderem bemessen wird.

Word by Word

• कलाकाष्ठानिमेषादि: (the measures) such as kalā, kāṣṭhā, nimeṣa, etc.
• कलाकाष्ठानिमेषादि: Adhikaraṇa (as domain qualifier with ‘गोचरे’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कला + काष्ठा + निमेष + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वः); ‘कला-काष्ठा-निमेष-आदि’ इति समाहारः

• कालसूत्रस्य: of the time-thread (course of time)
• कालसूत्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘कालस्य सूत्रम्’ = the thread/line of time)

• गोचरे: in the range/sphere
• गोचरे: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शक्तिः: power
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• शुद्धस्य: of the pure (one)
• शुद्धस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रसीदतु: may (he) be gracious
• प्रसीदतु: Kriyā (Benedictive/imperative action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √सद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नः: for us, our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive: for us/our)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अस्माकम् (enclitic)

• हरिः: Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिः: Karta (Apposition to ‘सः’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)

Cosmological Context

Creation Stage: Kalpa

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Time (measured as kalā, kāṣṭhā, nimeṣa, etc.) is itself within the cosmic order, yet Hari’s power is not limited by the ‘thread of time’.

Vedantic Theme: Maya

Application: Use awareness of time’s passing as a cue for remembrance (smaraṇa): brief pauses (nimeṣa-like) to return attention to the timeless Lord.

Vishishtadvaita: Time is a real divine śakti within creation, while Bhagavān remains sovereign and unbounded—supporting immanence without limiting transcendence.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Hari (name)

Bhakti Type: Shanta (peaceful)

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the significance of kalā, kāṣṭhā, and nimeṣa in the Vishnu Purana?

They are traditional micro-measures of time used to show that even the finest temporal divisions belong to Kāla’s domain, while Hari’s power is not limited by them.

How does Sage Parāśara explain Vishnu’s relationship to Time (Kāla)?

By presenting Time as a measurable ‘thread’ with defined units, yet affirming that Vishnu’s śakti remains beyond and unbounded by that temporal continuum.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (Hari) in this verse?

Hari is invoked as the supreme, transcendent Lord whose sovereignty exceeds even Time itself, reinforcing Vishnu as the ultimate ground of cosmic order and liberation.