HINDU ENCYCLOPEDIA

सनातन धर्म भूमिका

Meaning of "Kala"

Word

Kala

Sanskrit

काल

IAST

Kālá

In General

Kala means time. The colour Black is also said as Kala.

The word Kala is more popularly treated as the metaphysical time in Veda and Purana; for common usage for time, the word samvatsara (meaning year) is more popular. Kala or eternal time is the primeval cause of the interactions of all past, present and future events. Time creates, time maintains, time destroys, and this time factor is none other than the Lord. The empirical world we experience happen in Kala, the Time. Or in other word in Kala, the Time everything get created, everything get absorbed and everything have a temporal existence. Kala when personified become Lord Siva and sometime other instances as Lord Yama. In Uttara Ramayana Time come as a messenger and advise Sri Rama.

Veda

Siva is the dormant auspicious energy which transform into various forms during the creation. Creation involves rhythm and destruction of old forms. Siva does this work. The creation-destruction or transformation of matter is an incessant process which takes place always and in every created being. The process take place in time so Siva is also called Kala Rudra.

Purana

In BG (11.32) Bhagavan said: “I am mighty Kala (the eternal time spirit), the destroyer of the worlds. I am out to exterminate these people. Even without you all those warriors, arrayed in the enemy camp, shall die.”

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