Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

कालकालं समाराध्य भृंगी कालं जिगायवै । शैलादिमपि तत्याज मृत्युर्मृत्युंजयार्चकम्

Transliteration

kālakālaṃ samārādhya bhṛṃgī kālaṃ jigāyavai | śailādimapi tatyāja mṛtyurmṛtyuṃjayārcakam

Translation

କାଳକାଳଙ୍କୁ ସମାରାଧନା କରି ଭୃଙ୍ଗୀ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ କାଳକୁ ଜୟ କଲା; ଏବଂ ମୃତ୍ୟୁଞ୍ଜୟଙ୍କ ଅର୍ଚ୍ଚକ ଶୈଲାଦିକୁ ମୃତ୍ୟୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ତ୍ୟାଗ କଲା।

Word by Word

• कालकालम्: Kālakāla (Mahākāla)
• कालकालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारय (कालः एव कालः/कालानां कालः = महाकालः)

• समाराध्य: having propitiated
• समाराध्य: Kriya (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+राध् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); ‘having propitiated/worshipped’

• भृंगी: Bhṛṅgī
• भृंगी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृंगी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (भृङ्गी/भृङ्गिन्—शिवगणः)

• कालम्: Death/Time (Kāla)
• कालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• जिगाय: conquered
• जिगाय: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; ‘conquered’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• शैलादिम्: mountains and the like
• शैलादिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (शैलः आदिः यस्य/शैलादि = ‘mountain etc.’)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (also/even)

• तत्याज: abandoned
• तत्याज: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; ‘abandoned/left’

• मृत्युः: Death
• मृत्युः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• मृत्युंजयार्चकम्: the worshipper of Mṛtyuṃjaya
• मृत्युंजयार्चकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्युंजय + अर्चक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मृत्युंजयस्य अर्चकः = worshipper of Mṛtyuṃjaya)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāla-kāla/Mṛtyuñjaya (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic cosmic scene: Bhṛṅgī, the fierce ascetic attendant of Śiva, stands unwavering as the personified Kāla recoils; elsewhere Yama turns away from Śailādi, who clings to Mṛtyuñjaya worship—time and death rendered powerless before Śiva-bhakti.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Śiva (Kāla-kāla, Mṛtyuñjaya)
• Bhṛṅgī
• Śailādi
• Kāla
• Mṛtyu (Death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When Time and Death are themselves within Śiva’s sovereignty, the devotee who clings to Mṛtyuñjaya gains fearlessness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s Mahātmya is reinforced through exemplars of Śiva-bhakti, presenting the kṣetra as a place where Death’s power is diminished.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Samārādhana/arcana (intense propitiatory worship) of Kāla-kāla and Mṛtyuñjaya is upheld as spiritually protective.