The Glory of Mahakaleshvara

Verse 1 (skanda.7.93.1)

ईश्वर उवाच। ततो गच्छेद्वरारोहे महाकालेश्वरं हरम्। अघोरेशादुत्तरतः किंचिद्वायव्यसंस्थितम्

īśvara uvāca| tato gacchedvarārohe mahākāleśvaraṁ haram| aghoreśāduttarataḥ kiṁcidvāyavyasaṁsthitam

Ishvara said: Then, O fair one, one should go to Mahakaleshvara-Hara, situated somewhat to the northwest, north of Aghoresha.

Verse 2 (skanda.7.93.2)

धनुषां त्रिंशता देवि श्रुतं पातकनाशनम्। पूर्वं कृतयुगे देवि स्मृतं चित्रांगदेश्वरम्

dhanuṣāṁ triṁśatā devi śrutaṁ pātakanāśanam| pūrvaṁ kṛtayuge devi smṛtaṁ citrāṅgadeśvaram

At a distance of thirty bows, O Goddess, it is known as the destroyer of sin; formerly, in the Krita Yuga, O Goddess, it was remembered as Chitrangadeshvara.

Verse 3 (skanda.7.93.3)

महाकालेश्वरं देवि कलौ नाम प्रकीर्तितम्। कालरूपी महारुद्रस्तस्मिँल्लिंगे व्यवस्थितः

mahākāleśvaraṁ devi kalau nāma prakīrtitam| kālarūpī mahārudrastasmilliṅge vyavasthitaḥ

In the Kali age, O Goddess, it is proclaimed by the name Mahakaleshvara; the great Rudra, in the very form of Time, is established in that Linga.

Verse 4 (skanda.7.93.4)

चराचरगुरुः साक्षाद्देवदानवदर्पहा। सूर्यरूपेण यत्सर्वं ब्रह्मांडे ग्रसते प्रिये

carācaraguruḥ sākṣāddevadānavadarpahā| sūryarūpeṇa yatsarvaṁ brahmāṇḍe grasate priye

He is, in visible form, the teacher of all moving and unmoving beings, the destroyer of the pride of gods and demons; who, in the form of the sun, devours all this within the universe, O beloved.

Verse 5 (skanda.7.93.5)

स देवः संस्थितो देवि तस्मिँल्लिंगे महाप्रभः। यस्तत्पूजयते भक्त्या कल्ये लिंगं मम प्रियम्। षडक्षरेण मंत्रेण मृत्युं जयति तत्क्षणात्

sa devaḥ saṁsthito devi tasmilliṅge mahāprabhaḥ| yastatpūjayate bhaktyā kalye liṅgaṁ mama priyam| ṣaḍakṣareṇa mantreṇa mṛtyuṁ jayati tatkṣaṇāt

That god of great splendor abides, O Goddess, in that Linga; he who worships that Linga dear to me, with devotion at dawn, with the six-syllabled mantra, conquers death that very instant.

Verse 6 (skanda.7.93.6)

कृष्णाष्टम्यां विशेषेण गुग्गुलं घृतसंयुतम्। यो दहेद्विधिवत्तत्र पूजां कृत्वा निशागमे

kṛṣṇāṣṭamyāṁ viśeṣeṇa guggulaṁ ghṛtasaṁyutam| yo dahedvidhivattatra pūjāṁ kṛtvā niśāgame

He who, especially on the dark eighth lunar day, duly burns guggulu mixed with ghee there, having performed worship at nightfall —

Verse 7 (skanda.7.93.7)

अपराधसहस्रं तु क्षमते तस्य भैरवः। धेनुदानं प्रशंसंति तस्मिन्स्थाने महर्षयः

aparādhasahasraṁ tu kṣamate tasya bhairavaḥ| dhenudānaṁ praśaṁsaṁti tasminsthāne maharṣayaḥ

— for him Bhairava forgives a thousand offences. The great sages praise the gift of a cow in that place.

Verse 8 (skanda.7.93.8)

धेनुदस्तारयेन्नूनं दश पूर्वान्दशापरान्। देवस्य दक्षिणे भागे यो जपेच्छतरुद्रियम्

dhenudastārayennūnaṁ daśa pūrvāndaśāparān| devasya dakṣiṇe bhāge yo japecchatarudriyam

The giver of a cow surely delivers ten generations before him and ten after; he who, on the south side of the god, recites the Shatarudriya —

Verse 9 (skanda.7.93.9)

उद्धरेत्पितृवर्गं च मातृवर्गं च मानवः। बाल्ये वयसि यत्पापं वार्द्धके यौवनेऽपि वा। क्षालयेच्चैव तत्सर्वं दृष्ट्वा कालेश्वरं हरम्

uddharetpitṛvargaṁ ca mātṛvargaṁ ca mānavaḥ| bālye vayasi yatpāpaṁ vārddhake yauvane'pi vā| kṣālayecchaiva tatsarvaṁ dṛṣṭvā kāleśvaraṁ haram

— that man redeems the lineage of his fathers and his mothers; whatever sin was done in childhood, in old age, or in youth, all of it he washes away by beholding Kaleshvara-Hara.

Verse 10 (skanda.7.93.10)

अयने चोत्तरे प्राप्ते यः कुर्याद्घृतकंबलम्। न स भूयोऽत्र संसारे जन्म प्राप्नोति दारुणम्

ayane cottare prāpte yaḥ kuryādghṛtakaṁbalam| na sa bhūyo'tra saṁsāre janma prāpnoti dāruṇam

He who, at the arrival of the northern solstice, offers a ghee-soaked blanket, does not again obtain a dreadful birth in this worldly existence.

Verse 11 (skanda.7.93.11)

न दुःखितो दरिद्रो वा दुर्भगो वा प्रजायते। सप्तजन्मान्तराण्येव महाकालेशदर्शनात्

na duḥkhito daridro vā durbhago vā prajāyate| saptajanmāntarāṇyeva mahākāleśadarśanāt

Merely by the sight of Mahakalesha, he is not born sorrowful, poor, or unfortunate, for seven successive births.

Verse 12 (skanda.7.93.12)

धनधान्यसमायुक्ते स्फीते सञ्जायते कुले। भक्तिर्भवति भूयोऽपि महाकालेश्वरार्चने

dhanadhānyasamāyukte sphīte sañjāyate kule| bhaktirbhavati bhūyo'pi mahākāleśvarārcane

He is born into a prosperous family endowed with wealth and grain; and his devotion to the worship of Mahakaleshvara grows ever greater.

Verse 13 (skanda.7.93.13)

इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं महाकालेश्वरं प्रिये। चित्रांगदो गणो देवि तेन चाराधितं पुरा

iti saṁkṣepataḥ proktaṁ mahākāleśvaraṁ priye| citrāṅgado gaṇo devi tena cārādhitaṁ purā

Thus, O beloved, has the glory of Mahakaleshvara been told in brief; the gana named Chitrangada, O Goddess, worshipped him formerly —

Verse 14 (skanda.7.93.14)

दिव्याब्दानां सहस्रं तु महा कालेश्वरं हि तत्। चित्रांगदेश्वरं नाम तेन ख्यातं धरातले

divyābdānāṁ sahasraṁ tu mahā kāleśvaraṁ hi tat| citrāṅgadeśvaraṁ nāma tena khyātaṁ dharātale

— for a thousand divine years, that very Mahakaleshvara; thereby it became known on earth by the name Chitrangadeshvara.