Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

सदाशिवेन दृष्टोऽसौ कालः कालांतकेन च । उच्छृंखलः खलो दर्पाद्विशमानो निजांतिके

Transliteration

sadāśivena dṛṣṭo'sau kālaḥ kālāṃtakena ca | ucchṛṃkhalaḥ khalo darpādviśamāno nijāṃtike

Translation

ആ കാലനെ സദാശിവൻ—കാലാന്തകൻ—കൂടി കണ്ടു. എങ്കിലും അഹങ്കാരത്തിൽ നിയന്ത്രണമില്ലാത്ത ദുഷ്ടനായി, (പ്രഭുവിന്റെ) അതിസന്നിധിയിലേക്കു കയറിക്കൊണ്ടേയിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सदाशिवेन: by Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्तृ-निर्देशक (agent in passive)

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive sense)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कालः: Kāla
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता/विषय

• कालान्तकेन: by Kālāntaka (the ender of Time; Śiva)
• कालान्तकेन: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; सहकर्ता/कर्तृ-निर्देशक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उच्छृङ्खलः: unrestrained
• उच्छृङ्खलः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + शृङ्खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (कालः)

• खलः: a wicked person
• खलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेष्य/उपपद-निन्दावाचक

• दर्पात्: from pride / due to arrogance
• दर्पात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; हेतुः/कारणम्

• विशमानः: entering
• विशमानः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + शम् (धातु) → विशम (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्/मान), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि (active participle)

• निजान्तिके: near (them), in their vicinity
• निजान्तिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Sadāśiva/Kālāntaka) calmly observes as Kāla, arrogant and unrestrained, advances toward the divine presence; the contrast is between serene sovereignty and reckless pride.

Characters & Entities

• Sadāśiva
• Kāla
• Kālāntaka (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride makes even cosmic powers reckless, but Śiva as Kālāntaka stands beyond and above Time.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra’s Śiva-presence is implied as so potent that Kāla’s approach becomes a transgression.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative-theological assertion of Śiva’s supremacy over Time.