Shloka 13

द्वादशज्योतिर्लिङ्गावतारकथनम्

Account of the Twelve Jyotirliṅga Manifestations

Devanagari script

महाकालाभिधस्तातावतारश्शंकरस्य वै । उज्जयिन्यां नगर्य्यां च बभूव स्वजनावनः

Transliteration

mahākālābhidhastātāvatāraśśaṃkarasya vai | ujjayinyāṃ nagaryyāṃ ca babhūva svajanāvanaḥ

Translation

ఓ ప్రియుడా, శంకరుడు ‘మహాకాల’ అనే అవతారంగా ప్రత్యక్షమయ్యాడు; ఉజ్జయినీ నగరంలో తన భక్తజనులను కాపాడే రక్షకుడయ్యాడు।

Word by Word

• महाकाल: Mahākāla
• महाकाल: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् कालः)

• अभिधः: named; called
• अभिधः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (नामवाचक: ‘called’)

• तात: O dear one / O father
• तात: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• अवतारः: incarnation; descent
• अवतारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• उज्जयिन्याम्: in Ujjayinī
• उज्जयिन्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उज्जयिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (place)

• नगर्याम्: in the city
• नगर्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बभूव: became; came to be
• बभूव: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), एकवचन

• स्वजनावनः: protector of his own people
• स्वजनावनः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वजन + अवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वजनान् अवति/रक्षति इति)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: At Ujjayinī, Śiva manifests as Mahākāla, the great Time, to protect devotees; the kṣetra is famed for Śiva’s guardianship and time-transcending grace, with Mahākāla as kṣetrapāla and liberator.

Significance: Protection (svajana-avana) and fearlessness before Kāla; worship is believed to remove calamities and mature into liberation by confronting and transcending time/death under Śiva’s lordship.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: protective

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Shankara/Mahakala)
• Ujjayini

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It affirms Shiva’s compassionate Saguna manifestation as Mahākāla—Time-transcending Lord—who appears in a sacred place (Ujjayinī) specifically to protect devotees and uphold dharma, showing that grace meets seekers in tangible, worshipable forms.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Mahākāla is a celebrated Saguna aspect of Shiva associated with Ujjayinī and Linga worship; the verse supports the Shaiva Siddhanta view that the formless Pati also becomes approachable through consecrated forms and holy abodes for the devotee’s upliftment.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Worship Mahākāla with steady bhakti—japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), Linga abhiṣeka, and traditional Shaiva observances such as Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa, offered with the intent of seeking protection and inner purification.