Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Adhyaya 40: Kali-yuga Lakshana, Yuga-sandhyamsha, and the Re-emergence of Dharma

Devanagari script

साधूनां विनिवृत्तिश् च वेद्या तस्मिन्युगक्षये तदा सूक्ष्मो महोदर्को दुर्लभो दानमूलवान्

Transliteration

sādhūnāṃ vinivṛttiś ca vedyā tasminyugakṣaye tadā sūkṣmo mahodarko durlabho dānamūlavān

Translation

À la dissolution de l’âge (yuga-kṣaya), il faut comprendre le retrait des sādhus hors des engagements mondains. Alors s’élève un discernement subtil mais puissamment lumineux—très rare—enraciné dans le dāna (don sacré), qui aide le paśu à se détourner du pāśa (lien) et à s’orienter vers le Pati, Śiva.

Word by Word

• साधूनाम् (sādhūnām): of the holy/virtuous ones

• विनिवृत्तिः (vinivṛttiḥ): withdrawal, cessation, turning back (from worldliness)

• च (ca): and

• वेद्या (vedyā): to be known/understood, discerned

• तस्मिन् (tasmin): in that

• युगक्षये (yuga-kṣaye): at the end of the yuga/age

• तदा (tadā): then

• सूक्ष्मः (sūkṣmaḥ): subtle

• महोदर्कः (mahodarkaḥ): great illumination/clear discernment (great ‘light’ of understanding)

• दुर्लभः (durlabhaḥ): rare, hard to obtain

• दानमूलवान् (dāna-mūlavān): having charity as its root/foundation

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames the end-of-age mood as one of vinivṛtti (inner withdrawal), where dāna becomes a foundational purifier; this supports sattva and steadiness needed for sincere Linga-bhakti and Shiva-oriented living.

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

By implying the movement from pāśa (bondage) toward Pati (the Lord), it points to Shiva-tattva as the supreme refuge and illuminator, the goal of subtle discernment that arises when worldly supports collapse at yuga-kṣaya.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes dāna (sacred giving) as a practical discipline and vinivṛtti (renunciative withdrawal) as a yogic orientation—key supports for Pāśupata-style purification and inward turning toward Shiva.