Shloka 10

अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना

Devanagari script

अनभ्रे विद्युतं पश्येद् दक्षिणां दिशमास्थिताम् उदके धनुर् ऐन्द्रं वा त्रीणि द्वौ वा स जीवति

Transliteration

anabhre vidyutaṃ paśyed dakṣiṇāṃ diśamāsthitām udake dhanur aindraṃ vā trīṇi dvau vā sa jīvati

Translation

Si l’on voit l’éclair dans un ciel sans nuages, se tenant vers la direction du sud—ou si l’on voit dans l’eau l’arc d’Indra—que ce soit trois jours ou deux—alors on continue de vivre (le danger redouté est écarté).

Word by Word

• anabhre: in a cloudless (sky)

• vidyutam: lightning

• paśyet: should see

• dakṣiṇām diśam: the southern direction

• āsthitām: situated/standing

• udake: in water

• dhanuḥ: bow/rainbow

• aindram: belonging to Indra (Indra’s)

• vā: or

• trīṇi: three (days)

• dvau: two (days)

• vā: or

• saḥ: he

• jīvati: lives/survives

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

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

It frames worldly danger and longevity through dharmic ‘nimittas’ (omens); for a Shiva-bhakta, such signs are read as indicators of whether obstacles are easing, encouraging steadiness in Linga-puja rather than panic.

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

Indirectly: while the verse speaks in the language of omens, Shaiva Siddhanta interprets safety and peril as operating within karma and māyā (pāśa), ultimately governed by Pati (Shiva), the Lord who can loosen bondage and grant protection when devotion and dharma are aligned.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Not a specific yoga technique; it highlights nimitta-reading as a dharmic auxiliary—used alongside regular Shiva-upāsanā (Linga worship, japa, and vrata) to assess whether a feared inauspicious period is passing.