Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

कल्पेकल्पेखिलंविश्वं कालयेद्यः स्वलीलया । तं कालं कलयित्वा यो महाकालो भवत्किल

Transliteration

kalpekalpekhilaṃviśvaṃ kālayedyaḥ svalīlayā | taṃ kālaṃ kalayitvā yo mahākālo bhavatkila

Translation

Celui qui, à chaque kalpa, résorbe l’univers entier par son propre jeu divin—ayant maîtrisé le Temps—devient en vérité Mahākāla, le Grand Temps.

Word by Word

• कल्पे: in an aeon (kalpa)
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• कल्पे: in (each) kalpa
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या वितरणार्थः (each)

• अखिलम्: entire
• अखिलम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विश्वम्)

• विश्वम्: the universe
• विश्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कालयेत्: would dissolve/bring to an end
• कालयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: काल्/कल् (धातु) (कालयति = समयं नयति/संहरति)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• स्वलीलया: by his own play
• स्वलीलया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; महत्त्वे करणम्

• तम्: that (one)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कलयित्वा: having reckoned/considered
• कलयित्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कल् (धातु) → कलयितुम् (तुमुन्) → कलयित्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (having done)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवत्: is/becomes
• भवत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किल: indeed, it is said
• किल: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/श्रुत्यर्थक (particle: indeed/it is said)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa discourse, often Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (deity) / Mahākālapurī (kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic vision: Mahākāla as Śiva towering beyond the cycles of kalpas, with galaxies dissolving into His presence; Time personified is subdued, while the city-temple below glows as His earthly seat.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Kāla
• Kalpa
• Viśva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva as Mahākāla transcends and governs Time; remembering Him anchors one in the eternal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāla’s sphere is implied; the surrounding passage links this greatness to Mahākāla-purī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is doctrinal, defining Mahākāla’s supremacy over Time.