Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 20
रुद्रस्य रणप्रवेशः तथा दैत्यगणानां बाणवृष्टिः
Rudra Enters the Battlefield; the Daityas’ Arrow-Storm
मृत्युर्जन्मवतां वीरा देहेन सह जायते । अद्य वाब्दशतात् वा मृत्युर्वै प्राणिनां ध्रुवः
mṛtyurjanmavatāṃ vīrā dehena saha jāyate | adya vābdaśatāt vā mṛtyurvai prāṇināṃ dhruvaḥ
Ô héros, pour tous les êtres incarnés, la mort naît avec le corps lui-même. Qu’elle vienne aujourd’hui ou après cent ans, la mort des vivants est assurément certaine.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana account to the sages, within the Yuddhakhaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahakala
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is revered as Time itself; the Jyotirliṅga tradition frames him as the lord who subdues death and grants fearlessness, with Ujjayinī celebrated as his seat.
Significance: Darśana is sought for protection from untimely death, pacification of fear, and steadiness in dharma; especially famed for Kāla-related rites.
Mantra: oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam | urvārukamiva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya mā'mṛtāt ||
Type: mahamrityunjaya
Shakti Form: Kali
Role: destructive
FAQs
It instills vairāgya (detachment) by declaring death inevitable for all embodied beings, urging the seeker to take refuge in Shiva—the Pati who transcends birth and death—rather than clinging to the perishable body.
Since the body is destined to perish, the verse points the devotee toward steady worship of Saguna Shiva through the Linga—an accessible focus for bhakti and purification—while remembering Shiva’s ultimate nature as beyond time and decay.
Practice daily japa of the Panchākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with contemplation on impermanence; support it with Shaiva disciplines like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa as reminders to live in Shiva-consciousness before death arrives.