Shloka 11
Gṛhapati’s Vow: Turning Grief into Mṛtyuñjaya–Mahākāla Sādhana (गृहपतेः प्रतिज्ञा—मृत्युंजय-महाकालजपः)
द्विजदम्पती ऊचतुः । पुनर्ब्रूहि पुनर्ब्रूहि कीदृक्कीदृक् पुनर्वद । कालः कलयितुन्नालं वराकी चञ्चलास्ति का
dvijadampatī ūcatuḥ | punarbrūhi punarbrūhi kīdṛkkīdṛk punarvada | kālaḥ kalayitunnālaṃ varākī cañcalāsti kā
The Brahmin couple said: “Speak again—speak again! Tell us once more, plainly, what it is like. Kāla (Time) cannot measure it in full; what poor, limited mind could remain steady upon it?”
A Brahmin couple (Dvija-dampati)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a specific jyotirliṅga; the couple’s repeated request ‘tell again’ frames the teaching as something immeasurable by Kāla—an epistemic humility that precedes receiving instruction on the Śiva-upāya.
Significance: Encourages repeated śravaṇa and inquiry (praśna) as devotional discipline; ‘Time cannot measure it’ implies the teaching/mantra’s transcendence and the need for steady contemplation.
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Kāla is again personified as limited (‘varākī’, ‘cañcalā’): even Time cannot ‘measure’ the object of discourse—suggesting a reality/means beyond temporal computation (kāla-pariccheda).
FAQs
The verse stresses Shiva’s immeasurable, time-transcending nature and the mind’s instability before the Infinite—encouraging humility and repeated listening (śravaṇa) to stabilize devotion and understanding.
It supports Saguna worship as a compassionate means: since the mind is restless and cannot grasp the timeless Absolute directly, devotees seek clearer description and repeated instruction, approaching Shiva through accessible forms and narratives that steady bhakti.
A practical takeaway is repeated śravaṇa and japa—especially steady repetition of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—to calm the cañcala (wavering) mind and contemplate Shiva beyond time.