Shloka 60
विष्णु-ब्रह्म-विवाद-वर्णनम्
Description of the Viṣṇu–Brahmā Dispute and Brahmā’s Confusion
कल्पो बभूव देवर्षे नराणां कालसंज्ञकः । बभ्राम बहुधा विष्णुः प्रभविष्णुरधोगतः
kalpo babhūva devarṣe narāṇāṃ kālasaṃjñakaḥ | babhrāma bahudhā viṣṇuḥ prabhaviṣṇuradhogataḥ
Ô sage divin, pour les hommes advint un éon nommé « Kāla » (le Temps). En ce cycle, Viṣṇu—bien que puissant par ses śaktis—erra de maintes façons et descendit vers les régions inférieures, poussé par l’élan de la manifestation.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava
Sthala Purana: Naming the kalpa as ‘Kāla’ foregrounds Time as a limiting principle; within Śaiva Siddhānta, kāla is a component of bondage (pāśa) under māyā, highlighting why the quest remains futile.
Significance: Teaches that even divine agency operating within kāla (time) cannot circumscribe Śiva who transcends kāla; inspires seekers to move from temporal striving to grace-oriented devotion.
Cosmic Event: Kalpa designation ‘Kāla’ (Time) emphasizing cosmic temporality as a governing condition.
FAQs
It highlights that even exalted cosmic functions unfold within Kāla (Time), implying that liberation requires turning toward the timeless Supreme (Shiva as Pati), who transcends cyclical kalpas.
By showing that deities like Viṣṇu operate within Time and movement, the text implicitly points devotees to the Linga as the stable, transcendent symbol of Shiva—beyond descent and wandering—supporting Saguna worship that leads toward realizing Nirguna Shiva.
Contemplate Kāla’s impermanence and steady the mind on Shiva through japa of the Panchakshara mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), supported by Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrāksha as aids to remembrance and detachment.