Shloka 17

अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना

Devanagari script

छिद्रं वा स्वस्य कण्ठस्य स्वप्ने यो वीक्षते नरः नग्नं वा श्रमणं दृष्ट्वा विद्यान्मृत्युमुपस्थितम्

Transliteration

chidraṃ vā svasya kaṇṭhasya svapne yo vīkṣate naraḥ nagnaṃ vā śramaṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā vidyānmṛtyumupasthitam

Translation

إذا رأى الرجلُ في المنام ثقبًا في حلقه هو، أو رأى شرمَنًا (śramaṇa) عاريًا، فليعلم أن الموت قد دنا. وعند هذا النذير ينبغي للـpaśu، أي النفس المقيّدة، أن تلجأ إلى Pati—شيفا—بالذكر والعبادة، إذ لا يفكّ pāśa الخوف والفناء إلا الربّ وحده.

Word by Word

• छिद्रम्: a hole, an opening

• वा: or

• स्वस्य: of one’s own

• कण्ठस्य: of the throat/neck

• स्वप्ने: in a dream

• यः: who

• वीक्षते: sees, beholds

• नरः: a man/person

• नग्नम्: naked

• वा: or

• श्रमणम्: an ascetic/renunciant (śramaṇa)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen

• विद्यात्: should know, should understand

• मृत्युम्: death

• उपस्थितम्: arrived, present, near at hand

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Mrityu

FAQs

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

It treats ominous dreams as a prompt for immediate Śiva-śaraṇāgati (taking refuge in Shiva). In Linga worship, such signs are answered by japa, abhiṣeka, and remembrance of Śiva as Mrityuñjaya—the Lord who cuts the pāśa of fear and impending death.

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

Though Śiva is not named directly, the implication aligns with Śaiva Siddhānta: the paśu is vulnerable to saṃsāra and mṛtyu, while Pati alone stands beyond decay and grants protection and release. The omen highlights the soul’s dependence on the Lord’s grace to transcend mortality.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse itself is an omen-listing, but its Shaiva application is to adopt protective Śiva-sādhana—especially Mrityuñjaya-mantra japa, Linga-abhiṣeka, and Pāśupata-oriented inner turning (smaraṇa and vairāgya) when such dreams arise.