Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 11
रुद्ररथ-निर्माणवर्णनम् / Description of Rudra’s Divine Chariot Construction
वेगस्संवत्सरास्तस्य अयने चक्रसंगमौ । मुहूर्ता वंधुरास्तस्य शम्याश्चैव कलाः स्मृताः
vegassaṃvatsarāstasya ayane cakrasaṃgamau | muhūrtā vaṃdhurāstasya śamyāścaiva kalāḥ smṛtāḥ
สำหรับพระองค์ ความเร็วเองคือปี; อายนะทั้งสองประหนึ่งการบรรจบของกงล้อจักรวาล. สำหรับพระองค์ มุหูรตะเป็นเพียงช่วงสั้น ๆ และกะลาเป็นเพียงชั่วขณะ—ดังนี้จึงสอนถึงความเป็นมหेशวรผู้เหนือกาลเวลา.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahākāla
Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara
Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is praised as the Lord who transcends and governs kāla; the Purāṇic Mahākāleśvara tradition centers on Śiva as Time itself, granting liberation from fear of death and time-bound bondage.
Significance: Darśana/abhisheka is held to free devotees from kāla-bhaya and strengthen anugraha leading toward mokṣa.
Shakti Form: Kālī
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents Shiva as Kāla-atiīta (beyond time): the measures by which beings are bound—years, ayanas, muhūrtas, and kalās—are shown as negligible before the Lord, implying liberation comes by taking refuge in Pati rather than in time-bound identity.
The Liṅga symbolizes the timeless Absolute appearing in a worshipable form; by honoring Saguna Shiva through the Liṅga, the devotee approaches the Nirguna reality that is not limited by cosmic cycles (cakras) or calendrical divisions (ayana, saṃvatsara).
Meditate on Shiva as the Lord of Kāla while chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya); apply Tripuṇḍra bhasma as a reminder of impermanence and contemplate that all time-units dissolve in Him.