Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

संध्यांश एषा कलियुगावस्था संध्यांशं तु निबोध मे युगे युगे च हीयन्ते त्रींस्त्रीन्पादांस्तु सिद्धयः

Transliteration

saṃdhyāṃśa eṣā kaliyugāvasthā saṃdhyāṃśaṃ tu nibodha me yuge yuge ca hīyante trīṃstrīnpādāṃstu siddhayaḥ

Translation

Dieser Zustand des Kali‑yuga ist ein Sandhyā‑Anteil, ein dämmernder Abschnitt; erkenne von mir diesen Dämmeranteil. In jedem folgenden Yuga nehmen die Siddhis (geistigen Vollkommenheiten) ab und verlieren stufenweise jeweils drei und drei „Viertel“.

Word by Word

• संध्यांशः: twilight-portion

• एषा: this

• कलियुग-अवस्था: the state/condition of Kali-yuga

• संध्यांशम्: the twilight-fraction (as a doctrinal measure of time/decline)

• तु: indeed

• निबोध: understand/know

• मे: from me

• युगे युगे: in each yuga, age after age

• च: and

• हीयन्ते: decline, are reduced

• त्रीन् त्रीन्: three and three (repeatedly/stepwise)

• पादान्: quarters/parts/steps

• तु: indeed

• सिद्धयः: siddhis, spiritual perfections/attainments

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the yuga-teachings within the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Kali-yuga as a ‘twilight’ age where capacities decline, implying that Linga-upāsanā should prioritize inner purification and devotion to Pati (Śiva) over display of extraordinary powers.

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

By contrasting declining siddhis with the yuga’s deterioration, it points to Śiva as the unchanging Pati beyond time—whose grace, rather than mere yogic power, is the stable means for the paśu’s release from pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse implies a shift from siddhi-seeking to Pāśupata-oriented sādhana: disciplined worship of the Liṅga, restraint, and God-centered yoga where liberation is sought through Śiva’s anugraha (grace).