Shloka 39

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

Devanagari script

उत्सीदन्ति तदा यज्ञाः केवलाधर्मपीडिताः काषायिणो ऽप्यनिर्ग्रन्थाः कापालीबहुलास्त्विह

Transliteration

utsīdanti tadā yajñāḥ kevalādharmapīḍitāḥ kāṣāyiṇo 'pyanirgranthāḥ kāpālībahulāstviha

Translation

Alors les sacrifices védiques déclinent, écrasés par l’adharma seul. Même ceux qui portent la robe safran demeurent sans véritable maîtrise ni discipline sacrée, et dans ce monde les ascètes porteurs de crânes (kāpālī) deviennent nombreux : les marques extérieures augmentent tandis que se flétrissent la conduite shaiva intérieure et le culte juste.

Word by Word

• उत्सीदन्ति: fall into decline

• तदा: then

• यज्ञाः: Vedic sacrifices/rites

• केवल: solely/entirely

• अधर्म: unrighteousness/anti-dharma

• पीडिताः: afflicted/oppressed

• काषायिणः: wearers of ochre robes/renunciants by dress

• अपि: even

• अनिर्ग्रन्थाः: without binding discipline/without true scriptural restraint

• कापाली: skull-bearing ascetics (Kāpālika-type)

• बहुलाः: many/abundant

• तु: indeed

• इह: here/in this world

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It warns that when adharma prevails, yajña and authentic worship decline, and mere external religious signs replace inner purity—implying that true Linga-bhakti requires disciplined conduct and right intention, not costume.

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

By implication, Shiva-tattva is approached through inner niyama and genuine sādhana; when pashu (the soul) clings to outward identity under pasha (bondage), it misses the Pati (Shiva) who is realized through purified practice.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

It highlights the necessity of inner discipline (niyama, restraint, scriptural grounding) over mere ascetic appearance—an essential prerequisite for effective Shaiva sādhana and Pashupata-oriented purification.