Shloka 44

Adhyaya 40: Kali-yuga Lakshana, Yuga-sandhyamsha, and the Re-emergence of Dharma

Devanagari script

अधर्माभिनिवेशित्वात् तमोवृत्तं कलौ स्मृतम् प्रजासु ब्रह्महत्यादि तदा वै सम्प्रवर्तते

Transliteration

adharmābhiniveśitvāt tamovṛttaṃ kalau smṛtam prajāsu brahmahatyādi tadā vai sampravartate

Translation

لأنّ الكائنات تتشبّث بالأدهرما، يُذكَر عصر كالي على أنّه زمنٌ تحكمه التَّمَس (tamas)، ظلمةُ الخمول. وعندئذٍ تسري بين الناس الآثام، وعلى رأسها برهمَهَتْيا (قتل البراهمن)، سريانًا تامًّا.

Word by Word

• adharma-ābhiniveśitvāt: due to obsessive attachment to unrighteousness

• tamaḥ-vṛttam: tamasic conduct/behavior rooted in darkness

• kalau: in Kali-yuga

• smṛtam: is remembered/declared

• prajāsu: among the people/subjects

• brahma-hatyā-ādi: brahmahatyā and other grave sins

• tadā: then

• vai: indeed

• sampravartate: arises/spreads/comes to prevail

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Kali
• Brahma (via brahmahatyā—crime against brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

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

It frames Kali-yuga as tamas-dominated and sin-prone, implying that steadfast Shiva-Linga worship and śiva-dharma are essential purificatory supports for the pashu (soul) to loosen pasha (bondage) in a dark age.

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

By highlighting the spread of tamas and great sins, the verse implicitly points to Shiva as Pati—the transcendent purifier and liberator—whose grace and śiva-jñāna counteract tamasic bondage and restore dharma.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse does not name a specific rite, but its Kali-yuga diagnosis aligns with Pāśupata-oriented remedies: daily śiva-smaraṇa, Linga-pūjā with mantra and abhiṣeka, and yogic discipline to conquer tamas (inertia, delusion) and prevent mahāpātaka-like conduct.