Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12
श्रीब्रह्मोवाच । स एष कालस्त्रिदिवं त्वशेषं संहर्तुकामो जगदक्षयात्मा । पूर्णे च शेते परिवत्सराणां भविष्यतीशानविभुर्न चित्रम्
śrībrahmovāca | sa eṣa kālastridivaṃ tvaśeṣaṃ saṃhartukāmo jagadakṣayātmā | pūrṇe ca śete parivatsarāṇāṃ bhaviṣyatīśānavibhurna citram
Śrī Brahmā bersabda: “Inilah Kāla (Masa) itu sendiri, hakikatnya tidak binasa, yang kini berkehendak menarik kembali bahkan seluruh Tridiva, syurga para dewa. Apabila kitaran tahun ‘parivatsara’ telah sempurna, dia akan menjadi Īśāna, Tuhan yang berdaulat lagi meliputi segalanya; tiada hairan.”
Brahmā
Listener: surādi-saṅgha (devas and celestial hosts)
Scene: Brahmā identifies the terrifying figure as Kāla: a majestic, all-pervading presence holding the wheel of time; devas listen as the notion of cyclical completion is revealed.
FAQs
Time is not merely a measure—it is a divine power that dissolves even heavenly attainments, directing beings toward the imperishable Lord.
The broader section belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) sacred landscape, but this verse focuses on cosmic doctrine rather than a named tīrtha.
No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse teaches metaphysical humility before Kāla.