Varunapurana 4: vārunopapurāṇe caturtho'dhyāyaḥ

Varuṇa said: / To demonstrate that he is unbounded by Time, the Lord / attained renown as Kālakāla, the death of Time, because he destroyed [Time].

I shall also tell you that sacred story in brief: / Formerly in the country of Pāñcāla, a king named Śikhidhvaja was renowned.

Born in the Lunar dynasty, the king was a kṣatriya true to his pledge, / a performer of sacrifices, devoted to generosity, heroic, the abode of diverse virtues.

His virtuous wife was a daughter of Pāñcāla named Bhogavatī, / who, in her prime and auspicious marks, was like Viṣṇu's Śrī, O brāhmaṇas.

From her, after a long time, a son was born to him; / the high-minded father named him Śveta.

Once, as he was playing like a second crescent moon, / Ṛṣabha, the best of sages, approached the king.

“Your son, shining like refined gold, O best of royal sages, / when less than sixteen years of age, will meet a terrible death.”

Hearing the words of Ṛṣabha, the king lost his composure; / with folded hands, the monarch then entreated Ṛṣabha.

The king said: / “What is the remedy here, O blessed one, so that my son may be free from death? / By the favor of [the Lord] gold-hued, may he be free from death?

This child should be shown grace by you. What was his previous life? / What sin was committed by him? Tell me that at length.”

Ṛṣabha said: / “This child […] the sage / seeing his son, the ruler of the earth did not honor [him].”

Ṛṣabha, the best of yogins, spoke an exceedingly harsh word: / “Formerly in a previous life, he lived as the son of a śūdra in a family […].

Afflicted by lust, he went to a certain brāhmaṇa's daughter; / by that sin, his lifespan was destroyed and he met his death.

Tortured by Yama with hundreds of severe torments in hell, / in that very birth, O king, he attained some merit.

In a temple of Śiva, he saw a certain exalted yogin; / he was told by him: ‘Bring bilva leaves for the worship of Śiva.’

Having gathered leaves of the bilva tree, he then gave them to him; / by the excellence of that merit, this son of yours was born, O king.

For his victory over death, the Supreme Lord is the refuge; / if he takes refuge in him, death is instantly turned away.

There is no other means at present for his victory.” / Then, having bound Śveta below with sacred ash, the high-minded yogin,

having imparted the five-syllable mantra and given a rosary of rudrākṣa beads, [said:] / “Perform the holy worship of the liṅga; death will then face you [in defeat].”

Having spoken thus and taken leave of him, the yogin departed wherever he wished.
Up to seven years of age, the boy was devoted to the worship of the Śiva-liṅga.

Having reached through asceticism the place named Śvetakānana, / he worshipped Mahādeva there, the remover of bonds for bound souls.

When that day of death arrived, [Yama's messengers] came to bind Śveta, / cruel, bearing rods, with swords, clubs, nooses, and scimitars in hand.

“Turn back from this effort of yours! What is this childish behavior of yours? / Looking upon us, no one can stand even for a moment!”

Thus they threatened him, but they could not [approach] at all due to the power of his worship.
Unable to bring him, they then reported to Yama.

Then, hearing the words of his soldiers, the lord of Saṃyaminī, / enraged, mounted his buffalo with rod and noose in hand, accompanied by his troops,

accompanied by Death, Fever, Consumption, and others, and approached near him. / Seeing the king’s son Śveta, tranquil and absorbed solely in meditation,

he bound him with the terrible noose of Time, roaring with an immense shout. / Seeing his body encircled all around by the noose of Yama,

Śveta, agitated with fear, praised [the Lord] with dear words. / Śveta said: / “O friend of the universe, Mahādeva, fierce one, terrible one, Manonmana!

O bearer of the trident, I have taken refuge in you, protect me! / O Śambhu, O Śaṅkara, O lord of the universe, whose mount is the lord of bulls!

O lord of Umā, lord of bound souls, served by Skanda and Nandin! / Protect me who have surrendered, O Śambhu, O Nīlakaṇṭha, imperishable Hara!”

Hearing that speech, the God arose from the liṅga.
While all the gods and Yama were listening, Maheśvara

said to Śveta, “Do not fear!” and with his trident, striking him separately / with his foot upon the chest, Śiva caused [Yama] to be lifeless.

Then there was a shower filled with garlands of flowers, / and the three worlds were filled with the sounds of divine drums; / the gods cried out, “Victory! Victory!”, and Hara revived Death.

Having granted Śveta a lifespan of a thousand years, he disappeared. / Whoever [hears] this sacred narrative of the slaying of Kāla for Śveta,

hears it endowed with faith, becomes free from untimely death, / and obtains a long life and pleasures; of this there is no doubt.

Thus ends the fourth chapter, named 'The Destruction of Kāla', in the Vāruṇa secondary Purāṇa.