Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

वर्षाणां तच्छतं ज्ञेयं दिव्यो ह्येष विधिः स्मृतः त्रीण्येव नियुतान्याहुर् वर्षाणां मानुषाणि तु

Transliteration

varṣāṇāṃ tacchataṃ jñeyaṃ divyo hyeṣa vidhiḥ smṛtaḥ trīṇyeva niyutānyāhur varṣāṇāṃ mānuṣāṇi tu

Translation

Masa itu hendaknya dipahami sebagai seratus tahun; inilah tata hitung ilahi yang diingat dalam smṛti. Namun menurut ukuran tahun manusia, itu dinyatakan sebagai tiga niyuta, yakni tiga ratus ribu tahun.

Word by Word

• वर्षाणाम् (varṣāṇām): of years

• तत् (tat): that

• शतम् (śatam): a hundred

• ज्ञेयम् (jñeyam): is to be known/understood

• दिव्यः (divyaḥ): divine

• हि (hi): indeed

• एषः (eṣaḥ): this

• विधिः (vidhiḥ): rule/method

• स्मृतः (smṛtaḥ): is remembered/declared

• त्रीणि एव (trīṇi eva): only three

• नियुतानि (niyutāni): niyutas (a large numerical unit, commonly 100,000)

• आहुः (āhuḥ): they say

• वर्षाणाम् (varṣāṇām): of years

• मानुषाणि (mānuṣāṇi): human

• तु (tu): but/however

Speaker

Suta Goswami

FAQs

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

By defining divine and human measures of time, the verse frames Linga-puja within a cosmic scale—reminding the pashu (bound soul) that Shiva (Pati) transcends ordinary time (kāla) while grace and practice unfold through ordered cycles.

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

Indirectly, it points to Shiva-tattva as the Lord beyond human temporality: time-measurements belong to the manifested order, whereas Pati is the ground who regulates (vidhi) kāla without being limited by it.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the takeaway is contemplative discipline—using cosmological time-reckoning to cultivate vairāgya and steadiness in Shaiva sadhana, supporting Pashupata-style focus on liberation from pasha (bondage).