Shloka 8

Śiva-nāma-sahasraka-kathana

The Recital/Teaching of the Thousand Names of Śiva

Devanagari script

कालकालः कृत्तिवासाः सुभगः प्रणवात्मकः । उन्नध्रः पुरुषो जुष्यो दुर्वासाः पुरशासनः

Transliteration

kālakālaḥ kṛttivāsāḥ subhagaḥ praṇavātmakaḥ | unnadhraḥ puruṣo juṣyo durvāsāḥ puraśāsanaḥ

Translation

അവൻ കാലത്തിനും കാലൻ—കാലകാലൻ; കൃത്തിവാസൻ (ചർമ്മവസ്ത്രധാരി), സുഭഗൻ, പ്രണവം (ഓം) സ്വരൂപൻ. അവൻ ഉന്നതവും അചലവുമായ ആധാരം; ശരണ്യനായ പരമപുരുഷൻ; പ്രിയനും ആരാധ്യനും; തപസ്വിയായ ദുര്വാസ; കൂടാതെ ത്രിപുരദമനനായ പുരശാസനൻ।

Word by Word

• कालकालः: death of Death; destroyer of Time
• कालकालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृत्तिवासाः: wearer of a skin (garment)
• कृत्तिवासाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्ति + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुभगः: auspicious, fortunate
• सुभगः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• प्रणवात्मकः: whose essence is the Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवात्मकः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणव + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• उन्नध्रः: Unnadhra (epithet)
• उन्नध्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उन्नध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुरुषः: the Person (Puruṣa)
• पुरुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जुष्यः: to be enjoyed/served; worthy of delight
• जुष्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दुर्वासाः: Durvāsā (epithet/name)
• दुर्वासाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पुरशासनः: ruler of the city/forts
• पुरशासनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर + शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tripurāntaka

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: प्रणवात्मकः

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Tripura-dahana (mythic cosmic battle; destruction of the triple cities)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse strings together names that reveal Shiva as Pati—the supreme Lord beyond Time and death—who is simultaneously the ascetic (kṛttivāsā) and the auspicious refuge (subhaga). Seeing him as kālakālaḥ shifts devotion from fear of death to trust in the Deathless Lord who grants liberation.

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

These epithets are meditative handles for Saguna worship: the devotee contemplates Shiva’s recognizable qualities—ascetic form, cosmic sovereignty, and Tripura-destruction—while understanding that his inner reality is praṇava (Oṁ), pointing from form (Liṅga worship) to the formless source.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa and dhyāna are primary: meditate on Shiva as praṇavātmakaḥ while repeating Oṁ and/or the Pañcākṣarī “Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya,” and recite these names as a nāma-stotra for steadiness of mind and fearlessness before time and death.