Shloka 87

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणस्तदहः प्रोक्तं रात्रिश्चैतावती स्मृता अनार्जवं जडीभावो भूतानाम् आ युगक्षयात्

Transliteration

brahmaṇastadahaḥ proktaṃ rātriścaitāvatī smṛtā anārjavaṃ jaḍībhāvo bhūtānām ā yugakṣayāt

Translation

Thus has the ‘day’ of Brahmā been declared; and the ‘night’ too is remembered to be of the same measure. Until the end of the yuga, beings fall into non-uprightness and inert dullness—bound as paśus by the veiling power—until the turning of time.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā

• तत्: that

• अहः: day

• प्रोक्तम्: has been stated/declared

• रात्रिः: night

• च: and

• एतावती: of this same extent/as much

• स्मृता: is remembered/held to be

• अनार्जवम्: lack of straightforwardness/non-uprightness

• जडीभावः: becoming inert/dullness (state of jada)

• भूतानाम्: of beings/creatures

• आ: until

• युगक्षयात्: the end/decay of the yuga (yuga’s termination).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the doctrine of cosmic time to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

By defining Brahmā’s day and night as measures of cosmic manifestation and dissolution, the verse frames Linga worship as devotion to Pati (Śiva) who stands beyond time-cycles and grants release to the paśu from pasha.

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

Though Śiva is not named here, the teaching implies a Shaiva Siddhanta view: time and cyclic decline (anārjava, jaḍībhāva) govern embodied beings, while Shiva-tattva as Pati transcends these cycles and can remove veiling and bondage.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata-Śaiva discipline: countering jaḍībhāva (tamas/inertia) through steady japa, dhyāna, and Linga-pūjā so the paśu is not carried helplessly to yuga’s end under pasha.