Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

कालो हि बलवांल्लोके एक एव न चापरः । तस्मात्कालात्मकं सर्वमिदं नास्त्यत्र संशयः

Transliteration

kālo hi balavāṃlloke eka eva na cāparaḥ | tasmātkālātmakaṃ sarvamidaṃ nāstyatra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

या लोकी काळच एकमेव बलवान आहे; त्यावाचून दुसरा कोणी नाही. म्हणून हे सर्व जग काळस्वरूप आहे—यात संशय नाही.

Word by Word

• kālaḥ: Time
• kālaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• balavān: powerful
• balavān: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• ekaḥ: one, single
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• aparaḥ: another (one)
• aparaḥ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• tasmāt: therefore, from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• kālātmakaṃ: of the nature of time
• kālātmakaṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (kāla-ātmaka = time-natured)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनामसदृश (pronominal adjective used substantively)

• idam: this (world/thing)
• idam: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• asti: is
• asti: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaśa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Himalayan sage near Kedāra expounds that Time alone is powerful; behind him the snow-peaks and a subtle wheel of time (kāla-cakra) overlays the landscape, suggesting all beings moving under time’s dominion.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time is the dominant force shaping worldly existence; wisdom is to live dharmically within its rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra is the textual setting, though the teaching is a general Purāṇic doctrine.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it supports the urgency and value of timely worship, charity, and pilgrimage.