Shloka 123

बन्धमोक्षवर्णनम्

Bondage and Liberation: The Prakṛti–Karma Wheel and Śiva as the Transcendent Cause

Devanagari script

उत्पातानां च मारीणां दुःखस्वामी यमः स्मृतः । तस्माद्यमस्य प्रीत्यर्थं कालदानं प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

utpātānāṃ ca mārīṇāṃ duḥkhasvāmī yamaḥ smṛtaḥ | tasmādyamasya prītyarthaṃ kāladānaṃ pradāpayet

Translation

Yama is remembered as the lord who presides over the sufferings arising from ominous portents and epidemics. Therefore, to please Yama, one should duly offer the ritual gift known as kāla-dāna.

Word by Word

• उत्पातानाम्: of calamities/portents
• उत्पातानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• मारीणाम्: of epidemics/plagues
• मारीणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• दुःखस्वामी: lord of suffering
• दुःखस्वामी: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + स्वामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दुःखस्य स्वामी), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is said/considered
• स्मृतः: विधेय (Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (विधेयविशेषण)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: हेतु (Hetu/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablatival connective: ‘therefore/from that’)

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• प्रीत्यर्थम्: for (his) satisfaction
• प्रीत्यर्थम्: प्रयोजन (Prayojana/Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रीति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (प्रीत्यर्थम् = प्रीत्यर्थे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे अव्ययवत्

• कालदानम्: gift of ‘Kāla’/time-offering
• कालदानम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कालस्य दानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रदापयेत्: should cause to be given/should have given
• प्रदापयेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: णिजन्त (causative) + विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla as Śiva’s sovereignty over Time/Death: the jyotirliṅga signifies Śiva as the transcendent Lord who subdues Kāla; the verse’s Yama/Kāla appeasement theme resonates with Ujjain’s Mahākāla theology (Śiva as Kāla’s master).

Significance: Seeking protection from untimely death, alleviation of भय (fear) and duḥkha, and purification from ominous afflictions through surrender to the Lord of Time.

Ritual Elements

Offering: naivedya

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: utpāta and mārī (portents/epidemics) as collective calamity markers within dharmic cosmology

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that suffering from calamities is governed by dharma and karma, and that disciplined charity (dāna) performed with right intent can pacify fearful conditions—supporting a Shaiva life where devotion to Shiva is accompanied by righteous conduct.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In the Shiva Purana, Linga-worship is not isolated from dharma; along with devotion to Saguna Shiva, one follows scriptural remedies like dāna to restore harmony. Such acts purify the devotee and remove obstacles that hinder steady Shiva-bhakti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It explicitly recommends kāla-dāna as a remedial charity to please Yama; as a complementary practice, one may maintain Shiva-oriented discipline—japa of the Panchakshara and observance of purity—while performing prescribed dāna according to tradition.