Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43
विश्वं भर्तुं समर्थोऽसि भरणाद्भैरवः स्मृतः । त्वत्तो भेष्यति कालोपि ततस्त्वं कालभैरवः
viśvaṃ bhartuṃ samartho'si bharaṇādbhairavaḥ smṛtaḥ | tvatto bheṣyati kālopi tatastvaṃ kālabhairavaḥ
ನೀನು ವಿಶ್ವವನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿ ಪೋಷಿಸಲು ಸಮರ್ಥನು; ಭರಣದ ಕಾರಣದಿಂದ ನೀನು ‘ಭೈರವ’ ಎಂದು ಸ್ಮರಿಸಲ್ಪಡುತ್ತೀ. ಕಾಲವೂ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನು ಭಯಪಡುತ್ತದೆ; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ನೀನು ‘ಕಾಲಭೈರವ’.
Skanda (narrating Brahmā’s speech; deduced: Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: Kālabhairava stands as cosmic guardian: one hand in protective gesture, others bearing weapons; behind him the universe appears upheld—stars, worlds—while a personified Kāla recoils in fear, emphasizing ‘kālo’pi bhīyate’.
FAQs
The divine guardian principle surpasses time and sustains cosmic order; surrender to dharma overcomes fear.
Kāśī, through the exaltation of Kālabhairava as its supreme kṣetrapāla.
No explicit rite; the verse provides name-derivation and theological status of Kālabhairava.