Shloka 70

भैरवावतारलीलावर्णनम् (Bhairava-avatāra-līlā-varṇanam) — “Narration of the Divine Play of Bhairava’s Descent”

Devanagari script

कालराजं न यः काश्यां प्रतिभूताष्टमीकुजम् । भजेत्तस्य क्षयं पुण्यं कृष्णपक्षे यथा शशी

Transliteration

kālarājaṃ na yaḥ kāśyāṃ pratibhūtāṣṭamīkujam | bhajettasya kṣayaṃ puṇyaṃ kṛṣṇapakṣe yathā śaśī

Translation

جو کاشی میں کالراج (کال بھَیرو) کی عبادت نہیں کرتا—خصوصاً جب اشٹمی تِتھی منگل کے دن سے مل جائے—اس کا پُنّیہ گھٹتا ہے، جیسے کرشن پکش میں چاند گھٹتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• कालराजम्: Kālarāja (king of Time/death)
• कालराजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कालस्य राजा (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रतिभूताष्टमीकुजम्: Pratibhūtāṣṭamī-Kuja (a specific sacred observance/day connected with Aṣṭamī and Mars)
• प्रतिभूताष्टमीकुजम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिभूत + अष्टमी + कुज (प्रातिपदिक-समूह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—(प्रतिभूता) अष्टमी (तिथिः) + कुजः (मङ्गलः) इति समाहारः; अर्थतः ‘प्रतिभूता-अष्टमी-कुज-सम्बद्धम्’ (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• भजेत्: worships/should worship
• भजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षयम्: diminution, loss
• क्षयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यम्: merit (religious merit)
• पुण्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (क्षयम् इति कर्मपदस्य विशेष्य/विशेषणभावेन)

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—कृष्णः पक्षः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्राय)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान-बोधक

• शशी: the moon
• शशी: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Kālabhairava

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: Kālarāja (‘king of time/death’) is invoked as Bhairava’s regulatory sovereignty in Kāśī; special calendrical conjunctions (Aṣṭamī with Tuesday) are highlighted as potent for propitiation, and neglect is said to drain puṇya.

Significance: Marks an ‘adhika-kāla’ (heightened time) for kṣetrapāla worship; reinforces that sacred time (tithi-vāra) amplifies results—both auspicious and adverse.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: protective

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Aṣṭamī-tithi with Tuesday (Kuja-vāra) singled out; waning fortnight (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa) used as simile for diminution.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that neglecting devotion to Shiva as Kālarāja (Lord of Time) in Kāśī leads to the waning of puṇya, emphasizing steadiness in bhakti and timely worship as protective of spiritual merit.

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

Kālarāja is a Saguna aspect of Shiva—approached through concrete worship (often in Kāśī temples and Liṅga worship). The verse underscores that honoring Shiva’s manifest form in a sacred kṣetra sustains merit and supports liberation-oriented devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Kālarāja/Shiva worship in Kāśī on Aṣṭamī, especially when it falls on Tuesday—offering water, bilva leaves, and japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), ideally with bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa as supportive Shaiva observances.