Mahakala
Every question on the site tagged Mahakala, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
The five-faced, ten-armed form in which Lord Shiva appeared in the presence of Goddess Mahakali, into whose effulgent body Shiva then merged.
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Bhairavas held the outer gates and Vinayakas the inner; Mahakala appeared and Shiva merged into him, and dust from the inner sanctum on Indra's forehead dissolved the dosha.
At the outer gates Bhairavas and Bhairavis stood guard, while multiple Vinayakas held the inner gates through Sarupya Mukti; in Mahakali's presence, Lord Mahakala appeared and Shiva merged into his effulgent body, and Mahakali instructed that sacred dust from the inner sanctum be applied to Indra's forehead, completely dissolving his Brahmahatya Dosha.
How did Vishnu, Brahma and Rudra arise from Sadashiva?
It is said further in the Shiv Mahapuran that Maheshwar, Mahamaheshwar Sadashiva, manifested Vishnu from his left side, Brahma from his right portion, and Rudra from his heart. That same Rudra, by a mere fraction, was told to appear from Brahma's forehead, and so appeared from Brahma's forehead too.
Can bad karma be cut by taking the name of God?
Asked about the Mahakal stotra, the speaker says one may certainly do it, and that bad karmas will certainly be cut if you take the name of Bhagavan.
What does the nitya pujan of Shiva ji actually consist of?
The speaker says that if you read the Shiv Mahapuran, the Ling Mahapuran or the Vayu Mahapuran — the Shiv Mahapuran being a portion of the Vayu Mahapuran — all these things are told there in great detail: how the dwar pujan of the nitya pujan karma will be done, how the mandap pujan, how the symbolic shikhar pujan, how the first pujan of Nandi ji, then how the pujan of all Shiva ji's ganas seated in the temple — Ringi, Bhringi, Nagraj Vasuki, Bhairav ji, Mahakal — then Bhagavati Parvati, Skanda ji, Ganapati ji, his trishul, his damaru, and his Panchanan swarup.
What is done before entering the Shiva temple?
First bathe and complete the pujan of the house. Then go to the Shiva temple and light the karma sakshi deepak first of all, wherever deepdaan is done there. Then remember Kirtimukh ji and Ganapati ji, and the shaktis seated at the door — Mahakal, Kirtimukh, Nandi ji, Bhringi ji, all these dwarapalas together with Bhairav ji — and only then enter the Shiva temple.
Why is Shani pleased by japa done in a Shiva temple?
Bhagwan Shani Dev is a disciple of Bhagwan Shiva, the speaker says, and he too is held to be a form of Mahakal — that kaal itself is in the form of Shani. So the japa you do in a Shiva temple will become the cause of his pleasure, and most swiftly he will turn his cruel gaze into a gentle one.
Which Jyotirlinga is for disease, and which for bhoot pret and pitru dosha?
Whoever has much disease, distress and affliction should do at least twelve thousand japa, or sawa lakh japa, of Somnath Mahadev through the whole Shravan month. Those who have problems connected with bhoot, pret, pishach and abhichaar, or who have considerable pitr-related dosha, should do the japa of Mahakaleshwar Mahadev — sawa lakh, or at the least twelve thousand japa.
Should a Kaal Bhairav anushthan or Vipreet Pratyangira be done for a brahmarakshas?
Asked whether, to remove a brahmarakshas, it would be proper to have a Kaal Bhairav anushthan or a Vipreet Pratyangira performed, the speaker says both are proper: you may have either of the two done — you may have Kaal Bhairav done, and you may also have Vipreet Pratyangira done. Asked whether a photograph of Mahakaleshwar Baba may be put on the wall of the house, he says it absolutely may.
Is the Dakshinamurti form the same as Shiva facing south?
On the jyotirlinga question he says that between the Dakshinamurti swaroop and Dakshinamurti in the sense of Bhagavan Shiva looking toward the southern direction there is at least some difference. And secondly, he says, he has nowhere read in an authentic, shastric way that that very form of Bhagavan Shiva is in the form of Dakshinamurti, if the jyotirlinga itself is meant.
Why was the leela of Markandeya Muni enacted?
But a leela had to be performed, he says — that here, beyond Kaal too, is Mahakal. The Mahamrityunjay mantra had to be shown as capable and as bearing fruit before all in creation. It was then that the leela of Markandeya Muni was composed.
How was Markandeya made immortal without violating Yamraj's law?
He says one should know that when Bhagavan manifested in that form for Markandeya Muni's protection and made him ever ageless and immortal — Markandeya Muni becoming a Chiranjivi among the seven Chiranjivis — even then he did not violate the niti and niyam of Bhagavan Yamraj, nor his responsibility. What he did was to stop the gati of Kaal: he did not let Markandeya Muni's age be completed at all. For Markandeya Muni, he says, this thing that is called your time-dilation theory — the theory itself was ended there, so that his age can never be completed, and he will always remain one instant behind. His seven years will never be completed; and if they are never completed, how will Yamraj take away his life at all?
Who are the Bhairavs of Kali, Amriteshwari and Baglamukhi?
Besides that, of Kali ji we know that Mahakal is her Bhairav, and when we offer pushpanjali and the rest we also pronounce mantras such as "Mahakal Bhairav sahit". Of Bhagavati Amriteshwari, or Bhagavati Baglamukhi — who is also called Bhagavati Sumukhi — the Bhairav is Mahamrityunjay Amriteshwar Mahadev, which is what he was speaking of for the dashansh tarpan, marjan and japa.
Which are the chief forms of the shamshaan?
Among the chief forms there, he says, are Bhagavan Mahakal, Bhagavati Tara, Bhagavati Mahakali, Bhagavati Shmashan Kali, and all the shaktis connected with the shamshaan. Among them, those said to be foremost are the ones we call Shmashan Bhairav — which simply means the Bhairavs of the shamshaan.
Is Shmashan Bhairav the same as Mahabhairav?
The Shmashan Bhairav form of Bhagavan is itself called the Mahabhairav form, he says — Mahakal Bhairav, Mahabhairav. By tantra bheda the two forms are indeed separate, but in their mula swaroop there are many similarities, and the mantra of each of them is called a mantraraj.
Where is the ash of the Holika actually beneficial?
Where the whole vedic method and full vidhi-vidhan are followed by knowledgeable people and elders — as at the Mahakal temple at Ujjain, and around other temples where pujaris and sadhaks perform the danda sthapan of the Kshetrapal a full month beforehand and then the complete vidhi and pujan of Holika dahan — the ash of that place may be carried home, because it has been burnt in the full manner and will be beneficial.
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