Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

महाकालेश्वरं देवि कलौ नाम प्रकीर्तितम् । कालरूपी महारुद्रस्तस्मिंल्लिंगे व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

mahākāleśvaraṃ devi kalau nāma prakīrtitam | kālarūpī mahārudrastasmiṃlliṃge vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

ਹੇ ਦੇਵੀ, ਕਲਿਯੁਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਇਹ ‘ਮਹਾਕਾਲੇਸ਼ਵਰ’ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ ਹੈ। ਕਾਲ-ਸਰੂਪ ਮਹਾਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਉਸ ਲਿੰਗ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਥਾਪਿਤ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• महाकालेश्वरम्: Mahākāleśvara
• महाकालेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• कलौ: in the Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name; indeed
• नाम: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• प्रकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed; is celebrated
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• कालरूपी: having the form of Time
• कालरूपी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कालस्य रूपी)

• महारुद्रः: the great Rudra
• महारुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् रुद्रः)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिङ्गे: in the liṅga
• लिङ्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• व्यवस्थितः: is established; abides
• व्यवस्थितः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु) + त (क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāleśvara-liṅga at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, radiant Mahākāla-liṅga in a sanctum; behind it a vast wheel of time (kāla-cakra) and a subtle Rudra-form emerging, indicating ‘Kālarūpī Mahārudra’ abiding within the liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāleśvara
• Mahārudra
• Kali Yuga
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is affirmed as Kāla itself—Time’s sovereign power—accessible through worship of the liṅga even in Kali Yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mahākāleśvara liṅga in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is detailed here; the verse establishes the deity’s identity and yuga-name.