Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

मोहिताः कालपाशेन मृत्युपाशवशंगताः । शब्दब्रह्म न जानंति पापिनस्ते कुबुद्धयः

Transliteration

mohitāḥ kālapāśena mṛtyupāśavaśaṃgatāḥ | śabdabrahma na jānaṃti pāpinaste kubuddhayaḥ

Translation

時の縄に惑わされ、死の罠の支配に落ちた罪深く愚かな者どもは、シャブダ・ブラフマンを知らない—聖なる音（マントラと聖典）によって知られる、解脱をもたらす神聖なる実在を。

Word by Word

• मोहिताः: deluded
• मोहिताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह् (धातु) → मोहित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; past passive participle used adjectivally

• कालपाशेन: by the noose of Time
• कालपाशेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: कालस्य पाशः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; instrumental

• मृत्युपाशवशं-गताः: having come under the control of Death’s noose
• मृत्युपाशवशं-गताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत्यु-पाश-वश-गत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्ताधारित)
• Form: समाससमूहः (तत्पुरुष: मृत्योः पाशः; तत्पुरुष: पाशस्य वशः; उपपद-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयभाव: वशं गतः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शब्दब्रह्म: the Brahman as sound (Śabda-Brahman)
• शब्दब्रह्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द-ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (शब्दरूपं ब्रह्म); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; object

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• जानन्ति: know
• जानन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• पापिनः: sinful people
• पापिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; substantive adjective ‘sinful ones’

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कुबुद्धयः: of evil intellect / foolish-minded
• कुबुद्धयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु-बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (उपसर्ग/उपपद: कु + बुद्धि); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching Uma/Parvati in the Umāsaṃhitā’s philosophical discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is revered as the Lord who transcends and governs Time (kāla). In Purāṇic stuti traditions around Ujjayinī, Mahākāleśvara is praised as the jyotirliṅga that grants fearlessness from death and the terrors of time; the verse’s ‘kāla-pāśa/mṛtyu-pāśa’ imagery naturally aligns with this sthala-theology.

Significance: Seeking release from fear of death, mitigation of kāla-doṣa, and deepened vairāgya; remembrance of Mahākāla as the one who cuts the noose of time.

Mantra Metadata

Type: mahamrityunjaya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kāla (time) and mṛtyu (death) presented as binding cosmic forces (pāśa) within saṃsāra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It diagnoses bondage: the soul (paśu) becomes deluded by kāla (time) and mṛtyu (death), and therefore fails to awaken to liberating knowledge transmitted as śabda (revealed mantra/śāstra). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, this is the action of pāśa obscuring recognition of Pati (Shiva) as the liberator.

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

Saguna Shiva worship—especially Linga worship with mantra—anchors the mind in sacred śabda and form, countering time-driven distraction and fear of death. The verse implies that turning to Shiva’s revealed sound (mantra) and presence (Linga) is the practical doorway to transcend kāla and mṛtyu.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of Shiva-mantra (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with focused listening/recitation of śāstra (śabda-brahma), supported by daily Shiva-puja; this directly trains awareness away from mṛtyu-bhaya (death-fear) toward Shiva-centered steadiness.