Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

यदलंघ्यमशेषस्य स्थावरस्य चरस्य च नियोगरूपमीशस्य बलं विश्वनियामकम्

That irresistible power of the Lord, which is the form of command, governs all that moves and does not move, and is the force that controls the universe.

तस्यांशांशमयी मुक्तिः कालात्मनि महात्मनि ततो निष्क्रम्य संक्रांता विसृष्टाग्रेरिवायसी

Liberation, composed of portions of that (Supreme), emerges from the great soul who is Time itself, just as a spark flies forth from a blazing fire.

तस्मात्कालवशे विश्वं न स विश्ववशे स्थितः शिवस्य तु वशे कालो न कालस्य वशे शिवः

Therefore, the universe is subject to the power of Time; it does not hold sway over Time. Time is under the control of Shiva, but Shiva is not under the control of Time.

यतो ऽप्रतिहतं शार्वं तेजः काले प्रतिष्ठितम् महती तेन कालस्य मर्यादा हि दुरत्यया

Because the unimpeded energy of Shiva is established in Time, the boundary of Time is indeed difficult to cross.

कालं प्रज्ञाविशेषेण को ऽतिवर्तितुमर्हति कालेन तु कृतं कर्म न कश्चिदतिवर्तते

Who, by any special wisdom, is able to transcend Time? No one can surpass the actions performed by Time.

एकच्छत्रां महीं कृत्स्नां ये पराक्रम्य शासति ते ऽपि नैवातिवर्तंते कालवेलामिवाब्धयः

Even those who, having conquered, rule the entire earth under one umbrella, do not cross the limit of Time, just as the oceans do not cross their shores.

ये निगृह्येंद्रियग्रामं जयंति सकलं जगत् न जयंत्यपि ते कालं कालो जयति तानपि

Those who subdue the group of senses and conquer the whole world, even they do not conquer Time; rather, Time conquers them.

आयुर्वेदविदो वैद्यास्त्वनुष्ठितरसायनाः न मृत्युमतिवर्तंते कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः

Physicians who know the science of life and have practiced rejuvenating treatments do not overcome death, for Time is insurmountable.

श्रिया रूपेण शीलेन बलेन च कुलेन च अन्यच्चिंतयते जंतुः कालो ऽन्यत्कुरुते बलात्

A being may think of prosperity, beauty, character, strength, or noble lineage, but Time, by its own power, brings about something else.

अप्रियैश्च प्रियैश्चैव ह्यचिंतितगमागमैः संयोजयति भूतानि वियोजयति चेश्वरः

The Lord unites and separates beings through both pleasant and unpleasant, expected and unexpected events.

यदैव दुःखितः कश्चित्तदैव सुखितः परः दुर्विज्ञेयस्वभावस्य कालास्याहो विचित्रता

At the very moment one person is suffering, another is happy; behold the wonder of Time, whose nature is hard to comprehend.

यो युवा स भवेद्वृद्धो यो बलीयान्स दुर्बलः यः श्रीमान्सो ऽपि निःश्रीकः कालश्चित्रगतिर्द्विजा

He who is young becomes old, the strong become weak, the prosperous become destitute—O twice-born, Time moves in strange ways.

नाभिजात्यं न वै शीलं न बलं न च नैपुणम् भवेत्कार्याय पर्याप्तं कालश्च ह्यनिरोधकः

Neither noble birth, nor character, nor strength, nor skill is sufficient for accomplishment, for Time cannot be obstructed.

ये सनाथाश्च दातारो गीतवाद्यैरुपस्थिताः ये चानाथाः परान्नादाः कालस्तेषु समक्रियः

Those who are supported and generous, surrounded by music and song, and those who are destitute, living on others' food—Time acts equally among them.

फलंत्यकाले न रसायनानि सम्यक्प्रयुक्तान्यपि चौषधानि तान्येव कालेन समाहृतानि सिद्धिं प्रयांत्याशु सुखं दिशंति

Medicines and elixirs, even when properly administered, do not yield results out of season; but when gathered at the right time, they quickly bring success and happiness.

नाकालतो ऽयं म्रियते जायते वा नाकालतः पुष्टिमग्र्यामुपैति नाकालतः सुखितं दुःखितं वा नाकालिकं वस्तु समस्ति किंचित्

No one dies or is born before their time; no one attains full strength before their time; no one is happy or unhappy before their time—there is nothing at all that occurs untimely.

कालेन शीतः प्रतिवाति वातःकालेन वृष्टिर्जलदानुपैति कालेन चोष्मा प्रशमं प्रयाति कालेन सर्वं सफलत्वमेति

By Time, the wind blows cold; by Time, rain falls from the clouds; by Time, heat subsides; by Time, everything attains fruition.

कालश्च सर्वस्य भवस्य हेतुः कालेन सस्यानि भवंति नित्यम् कालेन सस्यानि लयं प्रयांति कालेन संजीवति जीवलोकः

Time is the cause of all existence; by Time, crops always grow; by Time, crops perish; by Time, the world of living beings is revived.

इत्थं कालात्मनस्तत्त्वं यो विजानाति तत्त्वतः कालात्मानमतिक्रम्य कालातीतं स पश्यति

Thus, whoever truly understands the reality of the Self as Time, transcending the self of Time, sees that which is beyond Time.

न यस्य कालो न च बंधमुक्ती न यः पुमान्न प्रकृतिर्न विश्वम् विचित्ररूपाय शिवाय तस्मै नमःपरस्मै परमेश्वराय

Homage to that Shiva, the Supreme Lord beyond all, who has neither time nor bondage nor liberation, who is not a man, nor nature, nor the universe—whose forms are wondrous and diverse.

केन मानेन कालेस्मिन्नायुस्संख्या प्रकल्प्यते संख्यारूपस्य कालस्य कः पुनः परमो ऽवधिः

By what measure, in this time, is the span of life determined? And what, in turn, is the ultimate limit of time, which itself is counted and measured?

आयुषो ऽत्र निमेषाख्यमाद्यमानं प्रचक्षते संख्यारूपस्य कालस्य शांत्त्वतीतकलावधि

Here, the first unit of life is called a nimeṣa, the blink of an eye; the limit of time, which is counted and measured, is said to reach up to the state beyond tranquility.

अक्षिपक्ष्मपरिक्षेपो निमेषः परिकल्पितः तादृशानां निमेषाणां काष्ठा दश च पञ्च च

A nimeṣa is defined as the closing of the eyelids; fifteen such nimeṣas make up one kāṣṭhā.

काष्ठांस्त्रिंशत्कला नाम कलांस्त्रिंशन्मुहूर्तकः मुहूर्तानामपि त्रिंशदहोरात्रं प्रचक्षते

Thirty kāṣṭhās are called a kalā; thirty kalās make a muhūrta; and thirty muhūrtas, it is said, make a day and night.

त्रिंशत्संख्यैरहोरात्रैर्मासः पक्षद्वयात्मकः

A month, consisting of two fortnights, is made up of thirty such days and nights.

ज्ञेयं पित्र्यमहोरात्रं मासः कृष्णसितात्मकः

One should know that the ancestral day and night is a month, composed of the dark and bright fortnights.

मासैस्तैरयनं षड्भिर्वर्षं द्वे चायनं मतम् लौकिकेनैव मानेन अब्दो यो मानुषः स्मृतः

With those months, six make a solstice; two solstices are considered a year, and by this worldly measure, the human year is remembered.

एतद्दिव्यमहोरात्रमिति शास्त्रस्य निश्चयः दक्षिणं चायनं रात्रिस्तथोदगयनं दिनम्

This is the divine day and night, as established by scripture: the southern solstice is night, and the northern solstice is day.

मासस्त्रिंशदहोरात्रैर्दिव्यो मानुषवत्स्मृतः संवत्सरो ऽपि देवानां मासैर्द्वादशभिस्तथा

A divine month is reckoned as thirty days and nights; likewise, a year of the gods is twelve such months.