Shloka 37
अवंतीस्थ-ब्राह्मणकथा तथा तृतीय-ज्योतिर्लिङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावना
Avanti Brahmin Narrative and Prelude to the Third Jyotirliṅga
गर्तात्ततस्समुत्पन्नः शिवो विकटरूपधृक् । महाकाल इति ख्यातो दुष्टहंता सतां गतिः
gartāttatassamutpannaḥ śivo vikaṭarūpadhṛk | mahākāla iti khyāto duṣṭahaṃtā satāṃ gatiḥ
แล้วจากหลุมนั้น พระศิวะผู้ทรงรูปอันน่าเกรงขามก็อุบัติขึ้น; พระองค์เป็นที่รู้จักว่า ‘มหากาล’—ผู้ปราบคนชั่ว และเป็นที่พึ่งพิงกับจุดหมายสูงสุดของผู้มีธรรม।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahākāla
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: Śiva manifests from the pit in a vikaṭa (awe-inspiring, formidable) form and becomes famed as Mahākāla—protector of the righteous and destroyer of the wicked; this is the theological kernel of Mahākāla’s Ujjain identity as Kāla’s Lord.
Significance: Darśana of Mahākāla grants fearlessness before death/time, protection from hostile forces, and assurance of Śiva as the final gati (refuge/goal) for sādhus and devotees.
Type: stotra
Role: liberating
Cosmic Event: Mahākāla as Kāla-tattva’s Lord: the narrative frames a microcosmic ‘time-break’ where the transcendent enters to reassert dharma.
FAQs
It presents Śiva as Mahākāla—Time itself and the Lord beyond time—who manifests in a fierce, protective form to destroy adharma while remaining the ultimate refuge and destiny (gati) of the sādhus, pointing to liberation through His grace.
Mahākāla is a Saguna manifestation of Śiva: devotees approach the Linga as the accessible embodiment of the timeless Supreme, seeking protection from negativity and steady progress toward moksha through devotion and surrender.
Meditate on Mahākāla as the inner ruler of time while japa-ing the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”; worship the Śiva-liṅga with reverence, and adopt Shaiva marks like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of impermanence and Śiva as the final refuge.