Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

उष्ट्रा वा रासभा वाभियुक्ताः स्वप्ने रथे शुभाः यस्य सो ऽपि न जीवेत्तु दक्षिणाभिमुखो गतः

Transliteration

uṣṭrā vā rāsabhā vābhiyuktāḥ svapne rathe śubhāḥ yasya so 'pi na jīvettu dakṣiṇābhimukho gataḥ

Translation

If, in a dream, one sees camels or donkeys harnessed to a chariot—even if that chariot appears auspicious—such a person does not long survive, for it signifies a southward course (the direction of Yama), an omen of impending death.

Word by Word

• uṣṭrāḥ: camels

• vā: or

• rāsabhāḥ: donkeys

• vā: or

• abhiyuktāḥ: yoked/harnessed/assigned (to pull)

• svapne: in a dream

• rathe: in a chariot

• śubhāḥ: auspicious/favorable (appearing so)

• yasya: of whom/for whom

• saḥ api: even he/that person too

• na jīvet tu: does not live/does not survive for long

• dakṣiṇa-abhimukhaḥ: facing south/southward

• gataḥ: gone/proceeded

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames mortality as a karmic sign (nimitta) and implicitly urges turning from fear and bondage (pāśa) toward refuge in Pati—Lord Shiva—through devotion and regulated conduct.

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

Though the verse speaks in omen-language, its Shaiva implication is that death belongs to the realm of pāśa and karma, while Shiva as Pati is the transcendent Lord beyond the southward pull of Yama—granting protection and liberation to the pashu who takes refuge.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is prescribed in this line; the practical takeaway is vigilance toward dharma and strengthening Shiva-upāsanā (japa, pūjā, and inner turning in Pāśupata discipline) when inauspicious signs appear.