Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

कालात्पराय कालाय स्वेच्छयापुरुषाय च । गुणत्रय स्वरूपाय नमः प्रकृतिरूपिणे

Transliteration

kālātparāya kālāya svecchayāpuruṣāya ca | guṇatraya svarūpāya namaḥ prakṛtirūpiṇe

Translation

時を超えた時と、時そのものに敬礼する。自在の御意志により行ずるプルシャに敬礼する。三グナを本性とし、プラクリティとして顕現する御方に敬礼する。

Word by Word

• कालात्: from time
• कालात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (काल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• पराय: to the one beyond
• पराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (पर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; (कालात्) परः इति भाव: 'beyond (time)'

• कालाय: to Time
• कालाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (काल-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• स्वेच्छया: by (his) own will
• स्वेच्छया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + icchā (स्व-प्रातिपदिक + इच्छा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: 'स्वा इच्छा'

• अपुरुषाय: to the impersonal one
• अपुरुषाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + puruṣa (नञ् + पुरुष-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ: 'not a person' (impersonal)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): 'and'

• गुणत्रय: (of) the three guṇas
• गुणत्रय: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa + traya (गुण-प्रातिपदिक + त्रय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: 'three guṇas' (त्रयः गुणाः)

• स्वरूपाय: to the essential nature
• स्वरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva-rūpa (स्वरूप-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambodhana/Prayojana (Salutation/प्रणाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (नमस्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable salutation)

• प्रकृतिरूपिणे: to the one whose form is Prakṛti
• प्रकृतिरूपिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti + rūpin (प्रकृति-प्रातिपदिक + रूपिन्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: 'प्रकृतिरूपः यस्य'

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical cosmic vision: a wheel of time (kāla-cakra) behind the deity; the three guṇas shown as three colored strands; prakṛti as a veiled cosmic matrix; above all, a transcendent radiance beyond the wheel.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)
• Puruṣa
• Guṇas (Sattva-Rajas-Tamas)
• Prakṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The divine is both transcendent and immanent—beyond time yet manifest as time and nature, governing the guṇas that shape experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is doctrinal within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s narrative; it does not name a specific tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it functions as philosophical praise (stuti) supporting contemplation of cosmic principles.