Shloka 52
महाकालज्योतिर्लिङ्गमाहात्म्ये चन्द्रसेन-चिन्तामणि-प्रसङ्गः
Mahākāla Jyotirliṅga Māhātmya: The Episode of King Candrasena and the Cintāmaṇi
ईदृशाश्शिशवो यस्य पुर्य्यां संति शिवव्रताः । स राजा चन्द्रसेनस्तु महाशंकरसेवकः
īdṛśāśśiśavo yasya puryyāṃ saṃti śivavratāḥ | sa rājā candrasenastu mahāśaṃkarasevakaḥ
Dans la cité où même les enfants sont ainsi—fermement attachés aux vœux de Śiva—c’est bien le roi Candrasena, grand serviteur et dévot de Mahāśaṅkara.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahākāla
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: Ujjayinī’s king Candrasena is portrayed as an exemplary Śiva-bhakta whose entire city—down to children—keeps Śiva-vratas; this collective dharma becomes the protective merit-field around Mahākāla, drawing others toward worship rather than conflict.
Significance: Association with Mahākāla-bhakti and vrata-dharma; merit through devotion that reforms even opponents and leads toward Śiva’s anugraha.
FAQs
It presents an outer sign of inner grace: when even children naturally adopt Śiva-vrata, the ruler and the land are shown to be firmly established in Śiva-bhakti, indicating a community aligned with dharma under Mahāśaṅkara’s protection.
Śiva-vrata typically expresses itself through Saguna worship—reverence to Śiva in the accessible form of the Liṅga—supported by daily pūjā, mantra-japa, and temple-centered life; the verse praises a city where such worship has become a shared culture.
Adopt a simple Śiva-vrata: daily remembrance of Śiva with pañcākṣarī japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), basic Liṅga-abhiṣeka when possible, and vrata-discipline on auspicious days (especially Mahāśivarātri), with devotion as the core.