Shloka 59

वंशानुवर्णनम् — सात्वतवंशः, स्यमन्तक-प्रसङ्गः, कृष्णावतारः, शिवप्रसादः (पाशुपतयोगः)

Devanagari script

उवाचाष्टभुजा देवी मेघगंभीरया गिरा रक्षस्व तत्स्वकं देहम् आयातो मृत्युरेव ते

Transliteration

uvācāṣṭabhujā devī meghagaṃbhīrayā girā rakṣasva tatsvakaṃ deham āyāto mṛtyureva te

Translation

وتكلّمتِ الإلهةُ ذاتُ الأذرعِ الثمانية بصوتٍ عميقٍ كدويّ سحاب الرعد: «احمِ جسدَك أنت؛ فقد أتاكَ الموتُ نفسُه.»

Word by Word

• uvāca: spoke

• aṣṭa-bhujā: eight-armed

• devī: the Goddess

• megha-gambhīrayā: deep like a cloud/thunder

• girā: with speech/voice

• rakṣasva: protect (imperative)

• tat: that

• svakam: your own

• deham: body

• āyātaḥ: has arrived/come

• mṛtyuḥ: death

• eva: indeed/itself

• te: to you/for you

Speaker

Aṣṭabhujā Devī (the eight-armed Goddess, a form of Śakti)

Characters & Entities

• Devi
• Shakti
• Mrityu

FAQs

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

It frames the body (deha) as a temporary field where the paśu must turn toward Śiva (Pati) for refuge; the shock of “death has come” intensifies vairāgya and directs the devotee to steadfast Śiva-bhakti and Liṅga-śaraṇāgati.

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

By highlighting the inevitability of mṛtyu, the verse implicitly contrasts the perishable body with Śiva-tattva as the deathless ground (amṛta), the Pati who alone can sever pāśa and grant liberation beyond time and decay.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The immediate takeaway is protective discipline—inner vigilance and Śiva-śaraṇāgati—aligned with Pāśupata orientation: using mṛtyu-smaraṇa (contemplation of death) to cut attachment and intensify japa, dhyāna, and Liṅga-upāsanā.