Shloka 25

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

कालाग्निस्तच्छरस्यैव साक्षात्तीक्ष्णः सुदारुणः अनीकं विषसम्भूतं वायवो वाजकाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

kālāgnistaccharasyaiva sākṣāttīkṣṇaḥ sudāruṇaḥ anīkaṃ viṣasambhūtaṃ vāyavo vājakāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

تلك السهمُ نفسُه صار نارَ الزمان (كالاغني)، ظاهراً للعيان، حادّاً كالموسى، شديدَ الهول. وأمّا الجندُ المولودُ من السُّمِّ فيُذكَر أنّه الرياحُ—المُحرِّكات (فاجاكا) التي تدفعه إلى الأمام.

Word by Word

• kālāgniḥ: the Fire of Time (all-consuming cosmic fire)

• tat-śarasya eva: of that very arrow indeed

• sākṣāt: directly, manifestly

• tīkṣṇaḥ: sharp, piercing

• su-dāruṇaḥ: extremely terrible

• anīkam: a host, troop, battalion

• viṣa-sambhūtam: born from poison

• vāyavaḥ: winds, airs

• vājakaḥ: impellers, drivers, instigators

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/known as

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya, describing the inner narrative of divine conflict)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kala (Time)
• Agni
• Vayu

FAQs

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

It points to Shiva as Kāla (Time) and Kālāgni (time-fire), reminding the worshipper that the Linga signifies the transcendent Pati whose power dissolves impurity and bondage—turning even “poison-born” forces into instruments of purification.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as the sovereign power behind dissolution and transformation: the arrow becomes Kālāgni (inevitable time-fire), while the winds act as impelling energies—showing Pati as the controller of destructive and dynamic cosmic functions.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The imagery supports Pāśupata-oriented inner practice: viṣa (poison) symbolizes pasha (binding impurity/affliction), and the yogin seeks Shiva’s grace so that turbulent prāṇa (vāyu) becomes a disciplined force that drives transformation rather than bondage.