Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तत्सान्निध्यं भैरवोऽपि कालोऽभूत्कालकालनः । स देवदेववाक्येन बिभ्रत्कापालिकं व्रतम्

Transliteration

tatsānnidhyaṃ bhairavo'pi kālo'bhūtkālakālanaḥ | sa devadevavākyena bibhratkāpālikaṃ vratam

Translation

By that very sacred Presence, Bhairava too became Kāla—the slayer of Time itself. And, by the command of the God of gods, he undertook and bore the Kapālika observance (vrata).

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally

• sānnidhyam: presence, proximity
• sānnidhyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sānnidhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhairavaḥ: Bhairava
• bhairavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhairava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बलार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• kālaḥ: Time; Kāla
• kālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• abhūt: became
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Aorist/Perfective past (लुङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• kāla-kālanaḥ: destroyer of Time
• kāla-kālanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla + kālana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'kālasya kālanaḥ' = destroyer of Time

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); pronoun

• deva-deva-vākyena: by the command/word of the Lord of gods
• deva-deva-vākyena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva + deva + vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'devadevasya vākyena' = by the word of the God of gods

• bibhrat: bearing, carrying
• bibhrat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhṛ (भृ धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• kāpālikam: of the Kāpālika (skull-bearing) type
• kāpālikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāpālika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying 'vratam'

• vratam: vow, observance
• vratam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Kālabhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla as the Lord beyond Time: the Purāṇic theme that Śiva (as Mahākāla/Kālabhairava) subdues Kāla resonates with Ujjain’s Mahākāleśvara where the Lord is worshipped as Time’s master and protector from untimely death.

Significance: Worship of Mahākāla/Kālabhairava is sought for protection from fear, death-anxiety, and karmic afflictions; supports prāyaścitta and steadiness in vrata.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Kāla-kālana motif: the Lord as destroyer of Time, implying a metaphysical conquest over temporal limitation (kāla) that binds paśu.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Bhairava
• Kala

FAQs

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

It declares Shiva’s supremacy over Time: in Shiva’s presence, Bhairava manifests as Kāla-kālana (the one who destroys Time), indicating that liberation (moksha) arises by aligning with Pati (Shiva), who transcends temporal bondage.

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

Bhairava is a Saguna manifestation of Shiva’s protective and time-transcending power. Worship of Saguna Shiva—through Linga-puja, mantra, and disciplined conduct—helps the devotee internalize Shiva’s lordship over fear, death, and time.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse points to vrata-dharma (vowed discipline) under Shiva’s command—especially austere Shaiva observances symbolized by the Kapālika vow—supported by mantra-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya), bhasma (Tripuṇḍra), and steady contemplation of Shiva as beyond Kāla.