Shloka 64

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

Devanagari script

उपहिंसन्ति चान्योन्यं प्रणिपत्य परस्परम् अराजके युगवशात् संशये समुपस्थिते

Transliteration

upahiṃsanti cānyonyaṃ praṇipatya parasparam arājake yugavaśāt saṃśaye samupasthite

Translation

Sous la contrainte de l’âge—quand il n’est plus de souverain légitime et que le doute s’est levé—les hommes se prosternent extérieurement les uns devant les autres, mais intérieurement ils se nuisent, changeant la relation mutuelle en violence dissimulée.

Word by Word

• उपहिंसन्ति: they injure/afflict

• च: and

• अन्योन्यं: one another

• प्रणिपत्य: having bowed/prostrated

• परस्परम्: mutually/to each other

• अराजके: when there is no king/rightful governance

• युगवशात्: due to the force/compulsion of the (degenerate) age

• संशये: in doubt/uncertainty

• समुपस्थिते: having arisen/being present

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 frames Kali-yuga as a time of hidden harm and distrust, implying that taking refuge in Shiva as Pati through Linga-upasana becomes a stabilizing dharmic anchor when worldly order collapses.

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

By highlighting anarchy and pervasive doubt, the verse implicitly points to Shiva as the unwavering Pati—beyond social instability—who can cut the pasha of fear, suspicion, and hypocrisy that binds the pashu (individual soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is named, but the takeaway aligns with Pashupata discipline: cultivate inner truth (antar-śauca) and non-injury, using Shiva-bhakti and meditative steadiness to overcome the yuga-born pasha of deceit.