Shloka 11
Gṛhapati’s Vow: Turning Grief into Mṛtyuñjaya–Mahākāla Sādhana (गृहपतेः प्रतिज्ञा—मृत्युंजय-महाकालजपः)
द्विजदम्पती ऊचतुः । पुनर्ब्रूहि पुनर्ब्रूहि कीदृक्कीदृक् पुनर्वद । कालः कलयितुन्नालं वराकी चञ्चलास्ति का
dvijadampatī ūcatuḥ | punarbrūhi punarbrūhi kīdṛkkīdṛk punarvada | kālaḥ kalayitunnālaṃ varākī cañcalāsti kā
دویج جوڑے نے کہا—“پھر کہیے، پھر کہیے؛ وہ کیسا ہے، صاف طور پر دوبارہ بیان کیجیے۔ اس کا پورا اندازہ تو زمانہ بھی نہیں کر سکتا؛ پھر کون سی بے بس، چنچل بدھی اس پر ثابت رہ سکے گی؟”
A Brahmin couple (Dvija-dampati)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a specific jyotirliṅga; the couple’s repeated request ‘tell again’ frames the teaching as something immeasurable by Kāla—an epistemic humility that precedes receiving instruction on the Śiva-upāya.
Significance: Encourages repeated śravaṇa and inquiry (praśna) as devotional discipline; ‘Time cannot measure it’ implies the teaching/mantra’s transcendence and the need for steady contemplation.
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Kāla is again personified as limited (‘varākī’, ‘cañcalā’): even Time cannot ‘measure’ the object of discourse—suggesting a reality/means beyond temporal computation (kāla-pariccheda).
FAQs
The verse stresses Shiva’s immeasurable, time-transcending nature and the mind’s instability before the Infinite—encouraging humility and repeated listening (śravaṇa) to stabilize devotion and understanding.
It supports Saguna worship as a compassionate means: since the mind is restless and cannot grasp the timeless Absolute directly, devotees seek clearer description and repeated instruction, approaching Shiva through accessible forms and narratives that steady bhakti.
A practical takeaway is repeated śravaṇa and japa—especially steady repetition of the Panchakshara (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—to calm the cañcala (wavering) mind and contemplate Shiva beyond time.