Prayer to Kālapurusha

Kālapurusha Prārthanā · kāla-purusha-prārthanā, “the prayer to the Person of Time”

The prayer to Kālapurusha, the Person of Time, is the two-verse mantra of the Kālapurusha-dāna, the first of the ten Mahādānas. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it to Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa.

The setting

On Caturthī or Caturdaśī an image of Kālapurusha is made of black sesame on level ground, in the shape of a man: teeth of silver, eyes of gold, a terrible sword in the hand, kuṇḍalas like japā flowers, a red garland and red cloth, a garland of conches, bow and arrows, shoes, and a black blanket under the arm. It is worshipped with gandha, flowers and naivedya, and 108 āhutis of sesame and ghee are offered with the mantra tryambakam. Then the yajamāna, with a glad heart, recites this prayer.

The prayer

सर्व कलयसे यस्मात् कालस्त्वं तेन भण्यसे।
ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादीनां त्वमसाध्योऽसि सुव्रत॥
पूजितस्त्वं मया भक्त्या प्रार्थितश्च तथा सुखम्।
यदुच्यते तव विभो तत् कुरुष्व नमो नमः॥

sarva kalayase yasmāt kālastvaṃ tena bhaṇyase |
brahmavishṇuśivādīnāṃ tvamasādhyo’si suvrata ||
pūjitastvaṃ mayā bhaktyā prārthitaśca tathā sukham |
yaducyate tava vibho tat kurushva namo namaḥ ||

Kālapurusha, all comes to pass through you, so you are called Kāla. O Suvrata, even for Brahmā, Vishṇu, Śiva and the rest you are not to be overcome. I have worshipped you with bhakti and with joy. O Vibhu, I ask happiness of you; grant it; namaskāra to you again and again.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 181

The phala

The image is given to a brāhmaṇa, who is honoured with cloth and ornaments and dakshiṇā. One who gives Kālapurusha by this rule has no fear of death or disease, is free of all obstacles, gains boundless wealth, and at the end passes through Sūryaloka to the paramapada. When his puṇya is spent he returns as a dhārmika king, with sons, grandsons and Lakshmī.

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 181