Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

मुक्तकेशो हसंश्चैव गायन्नृत्यंश् च यो नरः याम्यामभिमुखं गच्छेत् तदन्तं तस्य जीवितम्

Transliteration

muktakeśo hasaṃścaiva gāyannṛtyaṃś ca yo naraḥ yāmyāmabhimukhaṃ gacchet tadantaṃ tasya jīvitam

Translation

If a man, with hair loosened, laughing, singing, and dancing, proceeds facing the southern quarter (the realm of Yama), that very act is the limit of his lifespan—his life ends there.

Word by Word

• mukta-keśaḥ: with loosened hair

• hasaṃ: laughing

• ca eva: and indeed

• gāyan: singing

• nṛtyan: dancing

• ca: and

• yaḥ: who

• naraḥ: a man/person

• yāmyām: the southern (Yama’s) direction

• abhimukham: facing/towards

• gacchet: goes/proceeds

• tat: that

• antam: end/limit

• tasya: of him

• jīvitam: life/lifespan

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

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

It functions as a warning-sign (nimitta): when death-omens arise, the pashu (bound soul) should turn toward Pati—Lord Shiva—seeking refuge through Linga-centered devotion and purification rather than remaining careless and heedless.

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

By pointing to Yama’s southern realm and life’s fragility, it implicitly contrasts the finite body-bound condition with Shiva-tattva as the transcendent Pati—beyond death and the karmic limits that bind the pashu.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Not a specific rite, but a yogic takeaway: cultivate vigilance (smriti) and detachment when ominous mental states arise; in Shaiva practice this typically redirects one to japa, Rudra-dhyana, and Linga-puja as remedies against fear and bondage.