Shloka 9
सृष्टिवर्णनम्
Cosmogony and the Roles of the Trimūrti
ब्रह्मा स्रष्टा हरिः पाता संहर्ता च महेश्वरः । तस्य सर्गस्य नान्योऽस्ति काले काले तथा गते
brahmā sraṣṭā hariḥ pātā saṃhartā ca maheśvaraḥ | tasya sargasya nānyo'sti kāle kāle tathā gate
Brahmā is the creator; Hari (Viṣṇu) is the protector; and Maheśvara (Śiva) is the withdrawer (dissolver). In that recurring cycle of manifestation, there is no other ultimate agent—when time after time those periods pass.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva Purana teachings to the sages, inferred from Purana dialogue convention in Uma Samhita)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Role: destructive
Cosmic Event: cyclic time (kāla-kāla) governing recurring sṛṣṭi-sthiti-saṃhāra
FAQs
It summarizes the cosmic functions—creation, preservation, and dissolution—while pointing to the recurring nature of time (kāla) and the primacy of Maheśvara as the decisive power in the cycle, aligning with Shaiva Siddhanta’s emphasis on Pati (Śiva) as the supreme Lord.
By naming Maheśvara as the agent of saṃhāra within the cosmic order, it supports Saguna worship of Śiva—especially as the Liṅga, the timeless symbol of Pati—through which devotees contemplate the Lord beyond repeating cycles of time.
Meditate on Śiva as Mahākāla beyond cyclical time, and support that contemplation with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya); optionally wear rudrākṣa and apply tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as Shaiva markers of surrender to Pati.