Shloka 58

Adhyaya 4: अहोरात्र-युग-मन्वन्तर-कल्पमान तथा प्रलयान्ते सृष्ट्युपक्रमः

Devanagari script

भूर्भुवःस्वर्महस्तत्र नश्यते चोर्ध्वतो न च रात्रौ चैकार्णवे ब्रह्मा नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे

Transliteration

bhūrbhuvaḥsvarmahastatra naśyate cordhvato na ca rātrau caikārṇave brahmā naṣṭe sthāvarajaṅgame

Translation

Allí perecen los mundos Bhūr, Bhuvaḥ, Svar y Mahas, y por encima de ellos tampoco queda nada. En esa Noche, cuando todo se vuelve un solo océano y los seres inmóviles y móviles se disuelven, Brahmā también es reabsorbido en la latencia.

Word by Word

• भूः (bhūḥ): earth-plane

• भुवः (bhuvaḥ): mid-region/atmospheric plane

• स्वः (svaḥ): heaven-plane

• महः (mahaḥ): great world (Maharloka)

• तत्र (tatra): there/at that time

• नश्यते (naśyate): perishes/is destroyed

• च (ca): and

• ऊर्ध्वतः (ūrdhvataḥ): above/upwards

• न (na): not

• च (ca): and

• रात्रौ (rātrau): in the (cosmic) night

• च (ca): and

• एकार्णवे (ekārṇave): in the single ocean (of dissolution)

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā): Brahmā

• नष्टे (naṣṭe): when destroyed/when dissolved

• स्थावरजङ्गमे (sthāvara-jaṅgame): the immobile and the mobile beings

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

By describing total dissolution of all lokas and beings, the verse frames the Linga (Shiva as Pati) as the stable refuge beyond pralaya—encouraging worship that seeks the imperishable reality rather than transient worlds.

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

Even Brahmā and the cosmic strata dissolve in the single ocean of pralaya, implying that Shiva-tattva is the transcendent ground that remains when Pashu (souls) and Pasha (cosmic structures/bondages) are withdrawn.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights vairāgya and pralaya-anusandhāna (contemplation of dissolution) as a Pashupata-aligned discipline—using insight into impermanence to turn the mind toward Pati (Shiva) through japa, dhyāna, and Linga-smaraṇa.