Shloka 23

अध्याय ४९ — विवाहानुष्ठाने ब्रह्मणः काममोहः

Brahmā’s Enchantment by Desire during the Wedding Rites

Devanagari script

कालाग्निरुद्रस्तमसा परमात्मा गुणः परः । सदा शिवो महेशानस्सर्वव्यापी महेश्वरः

Transliteration

kālāgnirudrastamasā paramātmā guṇaḥ paraḥ | sadā śivo maheśānassarvavyāpī maheśvaraḥ

Translation

He is Kālāgnirudra, the fire of Time that consumes all; He is the Supreme Self, beyond the guṇas and higher than the highest. He is Sadāśiva, Maheśāna—the all-pervading Mahādeva, the Great Lord, Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• कालाग्निरुद्रः: Kālāgnirudra
• कालाग्निरुद्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (determinative: 'Rudra as time-fire/doom-fire')

• तमसा: by/with tamas (darkness)
• तमसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-भाव

• परमात्मा: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन्/आत्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('supreme' qualifying 'self')

• गुणः: a quality / guṇa
• गुणः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परः: supreme, beyond
• परः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महेशानः: the Great Lord (Maheśāna)
• महेशानः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईशान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('great' + 'lord')

• सर्वव्यापी: all-pervading
• सर्वव्यापी: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + व्यापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद/तत्पुरुष ('pervading all'); विशेषण

• महेश्वरः: Maheśvara
• महेश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('great' + 'lord')

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Shiva Purana discourse to the sages, within the Pārvatīkhaṇḍa context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Kālāntaka

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla theme: Śiva as Time-transcendent who subdues Time; in Ujjayinī, Mahākāleśvara is revered as the Lord who protects devotees from the terror of kāla and grants mokṣa through His sovereignty over dissolution.

Significance: Worship of Mahākāla is sought for fearlessness before death/time, purification of pāśa (kārma), and steadiness toward liberation.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: कालाग्निरुद्रस्तमसा परमात्मा गुणः परः । सदा शिवो महेशानस्सर्वव्यापी महेश्वरः

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalpa-pralaya imagery implied by Kālāgnirudra (time-fire consuming all)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra
• Sadashiva
• Maheshvara

FAQs

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

It proclaims Shiva as Pati—the Supreme Self who transcends prakṛti’s guṇas, yet pervades all as Mahēśvara; realizing Him as both transcendent (para) and immanent (sarvavyāpī) is a direct pointer to moksha.

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

Though Shiva is beyond the guṇas, devotees approach Him through saguna forms—especially the Śiva-liṅga—where the formless, all-pervading Lord is reverently worshiped with name, form, and mantra as a means to the same para-tattva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Shiva as “Sarvavyāpī Mahēśvara” while japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya); during worship, apply tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and offer water to the liṅga, contemplating Him as the Time-fire that dissolves bondage.