Karpura Gauram - 3

The Shloka

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अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम्।

अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम्।

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Avantikāyāṃ vihitāvatāraṃ muktipradānāya ca sajjanānām.

Akālamṛtyoḥ parirakṣaṇārthaṃ vande Mahā kālamahāsureśam.

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Meaning / Summary

This shloka extols Lord Shiva in his manifestation as Mahakala at Ujjain. It highlights two primary benefits of devotion to Mahakala: attaining liberation (mukti) for righteous individuals and protection from untimely death (akalamrityu). Mahakala is considered the lord of time, and by worshiping him, devotees seek to transcend the limitations of time and death, achieving spiritual freedom and physical safety.

I bow to Lord Mahakala, who manifested in Avantika (Ujjain) for the liberation of good people, and for protection from untimely death.

The shloka is a reverent salutation to Lord Mahakala of Ujjain, acknowledging his role in providing salvation to the virtuous and safeguarding them from premature demise.

This verse is a profound prayer dedicated to Lord Shiva, specifically in his form as Mahakala, the presiding deity of the sacred city of Ujjain, historically known as Avantika. The shloka praises Mahakala for two primary divine actions. Firstly, he is recognized as the one who graciously took incarnation or manifested himself in Avantika. The purpose of this manifestation is ‘muktipradānāya sajjanānām’, meaning ‘for granting liberation to good and righteous people’. This implies that devout worship of Mahakala leads to spiritual emancipation and freedom from the cycle of rebirth for those who lead a virtuous life. Secondly, the shloka highlights his role as a protector. It states ‘akālamṛtyoḥ parirakṣaṇārthaṃ’, which translates to ‘for the protection from untimely death’. This is a powerful aspect of Mahakala’s benevolence, as he is believed to be the controller of time (Kala), and thus capable of averting premature or accidental death for his devotees. The devotee concludes by expressing deep reverence and surrender with ‘vande Mahā kālamahāsureśam’, meaning ‘I bow to Mahakala, the great lord of all’, acknowledging his supreme authority and compassionate power.

Sentence - 1

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अवन्तिकायां विहितावतारं मुक्तिप्रदानाय च सज्जनानाम्।

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Meaning

He who has manifested in Avantika (Ujjain) for the purpose of granting liberation to good people.

Meaning of Words

अवन्तिकायां	Avantikāyāṃ
In Avantika (Ujjain) Avantika is the ancient name for the city of Ujjain, one of the seven holy cities of Hinduism, famous for the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga temple.
विहितावतारं	vihitāvatāraṃ
Who has taken incarnation / manifested Refers to the act of Lord Shiva descending or appearing in a particular form or place.
मुक्तिप्रदानाय	muktipradānāya
For granting liberation / salvation Mukti means liberation from the cycle of birth and death (moksha), and pradānāya means ‘for giving’ or ‘for granting’.
च	ca	And
सज्जनानाम्	sajjanānām
Of good people / righteous ones Sajjana refers to virtuous, noble, or righteous individuals, people of good conduct and character.

Sentence - 2

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अकालमृत्योः परिरक्षणार्थं वन्दे महाकालमहासुरेशम्।

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Meaning

For the protection from untimely death, I bow to Mahakala, the great lord of all.

Meaning of Words

अकालमृत्योः	akālamṛtyoḥ
From untimely death Akala means ‘untimely’ or ‘premature’, and mṛtyuḥ means ‘death’. So, it refers to death that occurs before one’s destined time.
परिरक्षणार्थं	parirakṣaṇārthaṃ
For protection / for guarding Parirakṣaṇa means ‘complete protection’ or ‘safeguarding’, and arthaṃ means ‘for the purpose of’.
वन्दे	vande
I bow A respectful salutation or prostration, indicating deep reverence and surrender.
महाकालमहासुरेशम्	Mahā kālamahāsureśam
To Mahakala, the great lord of all (even great asuras/devas) Mahakala literally means ‘Great Time’ or ‘Great Destroyer of Time’. He is a fierce form of Shiva. Mahāsureśam means ‘the great lord of even great asuras (demons)’ or more generally, ‘the great lord of all beings’, signifying his supreme power.

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