Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

संभिन्नो मारुतो यस्य मर्मस्थानानि कृन्तति अद्भिः स्पृष्टो न हृष्येत तस्य मृत्युरुपस्थितः

Transliteration

saṃbhinno māruto yasya marmasthānāni kṛntati adbhiḥ spṛṣṭo na hṛṣyeta tasya mṛtyurupasthitaḥ

Translation

Bila prāṇa-vāyu seseorang terganggu hingga terasa seakan mengiris titik-titik vital tubuh, dan sentuhan air pun tak menimbulkan rasa segar atau gembira—ketahuilah, Maut telah mendekat kepadanya.

Word by Word

• saṃbhinnaḥ: disturbed, disordered

• mārutaḥ: wind, vital air (vāyu/prāṇa)

• yasya: of whom

• marma-sthānāni: vital spots, vulnerable junctions of life-force

• kṛntati: cuts, pierces, rends

• adbhiḥ: by waters, with water

• spṛṣṭaḥ: touched

• na: not

• hṛṣyeta: would feel joy/refreshment

• tasya: for him

• mṛtyuḥ: death

• upasthitaḥ: has approached, is present

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Mrityu
• Vayu (Prana)

FAQs

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

It functions as an ariṣṭa (warning sign): recognizing the instability of prāṇa helps a devotee turn the mind toward Pati (Shiva), intensify japa and Linga-smaraṇa, and loosen pasha (bondage) through devotion and right conduct.

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

By implying that embodied life depends on prāṇa and marma, it indirectly points to Shiva as Pati—beyond the body and its failing energies—who alone remains the refuge when the pashu’s bodily supports collapse.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A prāṇa-centered observation aligned with Pashupata discipline: watch the disturbance of vāyu, withdraw from sense-pleasures, and take up Shiva-oriented sādhana (japa, dhyāna, and Linga-pūjā) as death approaches.