Shloka 50
अवंतीस्थ-ब्राह्मणकथा तथा तृतीय-ज्योतिर्लिङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावना
Avanti Brahmin Narrative and Prelude to the Third Jyotirliṅga
महाकालेश्वरो नाम शिवः ख्यातश्च भूतले । तं दृष्ट्वा न भवेत्स्वप्ने किंचिद्दुःखमपि द्विजाः
mahākāleśvaro nāma śivaḥ khyātaśca bhūtale | taṃ dṛṣṭvā na bhavetsvapne kiṃcidduḥkhamapi dvijāḥ
भूतलावर शिव ‘महाकालेश्वर’ या नावाने प्रसिद्ध आहेत। हे द्विजांनो, त्यांचे दर्शन झाले की स्वप्नातही किंचित् दुःख होत नाही।
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahākāla
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is famed on earth as a Jyotirliṅga whose darśana removes duḥkha; the Purāṇic framing emphasizes His protective, time-transcending lordship granting fearlessness and auspiciousness to devotees.
Significance: Darśana is said to eradicate sorrow even at the level of dreams; grants abhaya, śānti, and prepares the soul for liberation through Śiva’s grace.
Type: stotra
FAQs
It proclaims the phala (spiritual fruit) of Mahākāleśvara-darśana: Shiva’s grace dissolves the inner causes of duḥkha so thoroughly that even dream-born sorrow is said not to arise, indicating deep pacification of karmic agitation and fear of time/death.
Mahākāleśvara is worshipped as the Jyotirlinga—Saguna Shiva accessible to devotees through form and rite; seeing the Linga with devotion is treated as direct encounter with Pati (the Lord) whose presence loosens pāśa (bondage) and steadies the pashu (individual soul).
Perform Linga-darśana with bhakti, offer water and bilva, and mentally repeat the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplating Shiva as Mahākāla (Lord of Time) to transform fear and sorrow into serenity.