Shloka 66

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

कृकलः क्षुतकायैव देवदत्तो विजृम्भणे धनंजयो महाघोषः सर्वगः स मृते ऽपि हि

Transliteration

kṛkalaḥ kṣutakāyaiva devadatto vijṛmbhaṇe dhanaṃjayo mahāghoṣaḥ sarvagaḥ sa mṛte 'pi hi

Translation

Even after death, the vital currents remain operative: Kṛkala is the force behind sneezing; Kṣutakāya is the principle of hunger itself; Devadatta governs yawning; Dhanañjaya is the mighty-sounding wind, all-pervading in the body.

Word by Word

• कृकलः: Kṛkala (a vital wind linked with sneezing)

• क्षुतकायः: Kṣutakāya (the bodily principle of hunger/urge to eat)

• एव: indeed/just so

• देवदत्तः: Devadatta (a vital wind linked with yawning)

• विजृम्भणे: in yawning/stretching

• धनंजयः: Dhanañjaya (a vital wind said to persist even after death)

• महाघोषः: great-sounding/booming

• सर्वगः: all-pervading

• सः: that (vital wind)

• मृते अपि: even when dead/after death

• हि: indeed/for

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the body as a field of pranic functions; Linga worship in the Purva-bhaga is paired with inner discipline, where mastering prana supports purity (śuddhi) and steadiness for Shiva-upasana.

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

By implying that even subtle forces persist beyond gross death, it points to Shiva as Pati—the transcendent Lord beyond the changing pranas—while the Pashu (individual) remains bound by subtle operations until liberated.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Prana-vayu awareness used in Pashupata-oriented sadhana: observing sneezing, hunger, yawning, and inner winds as movements of prakriti, cultivating detachment and steadiness during japa and Linga-puja.