Shloka 69

युगधर्मवर्णनम् — चतुर्युग, गुण, धर्मपाद, तथा वार्तोत्पत्ति

Devanagari script

एषा रजस्तमोयुक्ता वृत्तिर् वै द्वापरे स्मृता आद्ये कृते तु धर्मो ऽस्ति स त्रेतायां प्रवर्तते

Transliteration

eṣā rajastamoyuktā vṛttir vai dvāpare smṛtā ādye kṛte tu dharmo 'sti sa tretāyāṃ pravartate

Translation

هذه السيرةُ المقرونةُ بالرَّجَس والتَّمَس تُذكَر على أنها سِمةُ عصر دْفابَرا. أمّا في العصر الأول، كِرْتَ، فإن الدَّهَرْما قائمةٌ حقًّا؛ وتلك الدَّهَرْما نفسها تمضي وتستمرّ إلى عصر تْرِيتا.

Word by Word

• एषा: this

• रजस्-तमो-युक्ता: conjoined with rajas and tamas (passion and inertia)

• वृत्तिः: conduct, disposition, way of life

• वै: indeed

• द्वापरे: in the Dvāpara-yuga

• स्मृता: is remembered/declared

• आद्ये: in the first

• कृते: in the Kṛta-yuga

• तु: however/indeed

• धर्मः: dharma, righteous order

• अस्ति: exists, abides

• सः: that (dharma)

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā-yuga

• प्रवर्तते: continues, comes into operation, proceeds.

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Krita Yuga
• Treta Yuga
• Dvapara Yuga
• Rajas
• Tamas

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

By linking yuga-conduct to rajas and tamas, the verse implies why Shiva-Linga worship and Shaiva sadhana are needed in later yugas: to purify the guṇas of the pashu (bound soul) and re-establish dharma through devotion and discipline.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Implicitly, Shiva-tattva stands as Pati beyond the guṇas; when beings fall into rajasic-tamasic conduct, turning to Shiva (the transcendent Lord) becomes the means to regain dharmic alignment and loosen pasha (bondage).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Guṇa-śuddhi is the takeaway: Pāśupata-oriented discipline—japa, vrata, and Linga-pūjā with inner restraint—aims to overcome rajas and tamas so dharma can manifest even in declining yugas.