Shloka 55

Kālajñāna (Knowledge of Time) and Mṛtyu-cihna (Signs of Death): Śiva’s Instruction to Umā

Devanagari script

यदा नवदिनं प्राणा वहंत्येव त्रिमासकम् । मासद्वयं च द्वे मासे दिना द्वादश कीर्तिताः

Transliteration

yadā navadinaṃ prāṇā vahaṃtyeva trimāsakam | māsadvayaṃ ca dve māse dinā dvādaśa kīrtitāḥ

Translation

Bila prāṇa (nafas-hayat) dipertahankan selama sembilan hari, itu disebut setara dengan tiga bulan; dan bila dipertahankan selama dua bulan, itu dinyatakan setara dengan dua belas hari.

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• nava-dinam: for nine days / nine-day period
• nava-dinam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक) + dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative/Nominative singular; used adverbially as duration)

• prāṇāḥ: vital breaths / life-forces
• prāṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• vahanti: flow / proceed / carry on
• vahanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vah (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present indicative, 3rd person plural)

• eva: indeed / just
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• tri-māsakam: a period of three months
• tri-māsakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (प्रातिपदिक) + māsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative singular; object/measure)

• māsa-dvayam: two months
• māsa-dvayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक) + dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative/Accusative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• dve: two
• dve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा द्विवचन (Feminine/Neuter, Nominative dual; numeral agreeing with māse)

• māse: in (the span of) two months
• māse: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सप्तमी द्विवचन (Masculine, Nominative/Locative dual; here as time-locative: 'in two months')

• dināḥ: days
• dināḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative plural)

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत् संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; dināḥ इति विशेषणम् (indeclinable-like numeral modifying 'days')

• kīrtitāḥ: are declared / are stated
• kīrtitāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kīrt (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे विधेय (Masculine, Nom. plural; 'are said/declared')

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that disciplined mastery of prāṇa alters the seeker’s inner experience of time and effort—tapas becomes intensified—supporting the Shaiva aim of turning the mind from pāśa (bondage) toward Pati (Shiva).

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In Shaiva practice, breath-discipline steadies attention so Linga worship becomes inward as well as outward—offering breath, mind, and awareness to Saguna Shiva, which then matures toward realization of Shiva as the inner Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points toward prāṇāyāma and steady retention/sustaining of prāṇa as a form of tapas, ideally joined with japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and meditative focus on Shiva.