Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 2
कालमान-निर्णयः
Determination of the Measures of Time
वायुरुवाच । आयुषो ऽत्र निमेषाख्यमाद्यमानं प्रचक्षते । संख्यारूपस्य कालस्य शांत्त्वतीतकलावधि
vāyuruvāca | āyuṣo 'tra nimeṣākhyamādyamānaṃ pracakṣate | saṃkhyārūpasya kālasya śāṃttvatītakalāvadhi
Vāyu berkata: “Di sini dinyatakan bahawa unit terukur yang pertama bagi usia hayat ialah yang disebut nimeṣa (sekelip mata). Itulah ukuran permulaan bagi Masa, yang bersifat angka dan perhitungan—meluas hingga ke had kalā (bahagian terkecilnya), bahkan melampauinya.”
Vayu
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahākāla
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is revered as the Lord who transcends and governs kāla; the jyotirliṅga tradition centers on Śiva as Time’s master, granting fearlessness from death and time-bound limitation.
Significance: Darśana of Mahākāla is sought for release from fear of death, mitigation of time-bound suffering, and steadiness in dharma.
FAQs
It frames Time as something that can be measured and counted (saṃkhyārūpa), implying that the bound soul (paśu) lives within calculable time, while liberation is linked to going beyond such limitation through Shiva’s grace.
By defining the smallest measure of time, the verse supports disciplined worship—daily pūjā, japa, and vrata timings—where Saguna Shiva (worshiped as the Linga) is approached through regular, time-bound practice that gradually leads the devotee toward the timeless reality of Pati (Shiva).
A practical takeaway is time-disciplined japa—counting breaths or mālā rounds while repeating the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), using measured practice to steady the mind and move toward inner stillness beyond time.