Shloka 26

Kāla-vañcana (Overcoming/Outwitting Time) and the Pañcabhūta Basis of the Body

Devanagari script

इति श्रीशिवमहापुराणे पञ्चम्यामुमासंहितायां कालवंचनवर्णनं नाम षड्विंशोऽध्यायः

Transliteration

iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe pañcamyāmumāsaṃhitāyāṃ kālavaṃcanavarṇanaṃ nāma ṣaḍviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

Translation

Así, en el Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa, en el Quinto Libro —la Umā-saṃhitā— concluye el capítulo vigésimo sexto, titulado «Descripción de cómo burlar al Tiempo (Kāla)».

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (उद्धरण/समाप्ति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-समाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative/end marker)

• श्रीशिवमहापुराणे: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• श्रीशिवमहापुराणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री + शिव + महापुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• पञ्चम्याम्: in the fifth (book)
• पञ्चम्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (in the fifth [book])

• उमासंहितायाम्: in the Umāsaṃhitā
• उमासंहितायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उमा + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कालवञ्चनवर्णनम्: the description of deceiving Time
• कालवञ्चनवर्णनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + वञ्चन + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम: named/called
• नाम: Naming marker (नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नाम-शब्दः (naming particle: ‘called’)

• षड्विंशः: twenty-sixth
• षड्विंशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षड्विंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (ordinal: twenty-sixth)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (traditional Purāṇic narrator concluding the chapter colophon)

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Colophon (iti-vākya) marking the end of the chapter ‘Kāla-vañcana-varṇana’; not a site-legend.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: iti śrīśivamahāpurāṇe pañcamyāmumāsaṃhitāyāṃ kālavaṃcanavarṇanaṃ nāma ṣaḍviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Uma (Parvati)
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

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

This is a chapter-colophon marking the completion of “Kāla-vañcana-varṇana,” pointing to the Shaiva teaching that Shiva (Pati) transcends and governs Kāla (Time), while liberation is entry into Shiva’s timeless reality.

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

By naming the theme “outwitting Time,” it frames Saguna Shiva worship (including Linga-upāsanā) as a practical means for devotees to overcome time-bound fear, decay, and death through Shiva’s grace, who is depicted as the Lord of Kāla.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Though the line itself is a closing formula, the chapter theme supports daily Shiva-sādhana such as japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), devotion to the Linga, and contemplations on Shiva as Kāla-atiīta (beyond Time).