Shloka 66

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

Devanagari script

स्वान्प्राणान् अनपेक्षन्तो निष्कारुण्याः सुदुःखिताः नष्टे श्रौते स्मार्तधर्मे परस्परहतास्तदा

Transliteration

svānprāṇān anapekṣanto niṣkāruṇyāḥ suduḥkhitāḥ naṣṭe śraute smārtadharme parasparahatāstadā

Translation

Als die vedischen Riten (śrauta) und die Smārta-Verhaltensregeln zugrunde gingen, wurden die Menschen—gleichgültig selbst gegenüber dem eigenen Leben—erbarmungslos und tief bekümmert; und so verfielen sie dem gegenseitigen Abschlachten.

Word by Word

• svān: their own

• prāṇān: lives/breaths

• anapekṣantaḥ: not caring for/indifferent to

• niṣkāruṇyāḥ: without compassion, cruel

• suduḥkhitāḥ: greatly sorrowful, intensely distressed

• naṣṭe: when destroyed/when lost

• śraute: pertaining to Śruti-based Vedic ritual

• smārta-dharme: in Smṛti-based dharma/social law

• paraspara-hatāḥ: mutually slain, killing one another

• tadā: then, at that time

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the loss of śrauta–smārta discipline as the cause of cruelty and chaos, implying that returning to Shiva-oriented dharma—especially Linga-centered devotion and restraint—restores order and compassion.

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

By highlighting the collapse of dharma into violence, the verse indirectly points to Shiva as Pati—the stabilizing Lord whose grace and dharma rebind the Pashu (souls) away from Pāśa (bondage) such as cruelty, despair, and mutual enmity.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No single rite is named, but the verse emphasizes the necessity of śrauta–smārta observance and inner ethical discipline—foundational supports for Shaiva sādhanā, including Pāśupata-aligned restraint (yama-like virtues) that prevents descent into हिंसा (violence).