Shloka 25

Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti

Devanagari script

कालाग्निस्तच्छरस्यैव साक्षात्तीक्ष्णः सुदारुणः अनीकं विषसम्भूतं वायवो वाजकाः स्मृताः

Transliteration

kālāgnistaccharasyaiva sākṣāttīkṣṇaḥ sudāruṇaḥ anīkaṃ viṣasambhūtaṃ vāyavo vājakāḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

ಆ ಬಾಣವೇ ಪ್ರತ್ಯಕ್ಷವಾಗಿ ಕಾಲಾಗ್ನಿಯಾಗಿ ಪರಿಣಮಿಸಿತು—ಅತಿತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣವೂ ಮಹಾಭಯಂಕರವೂ. ವಿಷದಿಂದ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ ಆ ದಳವನ್ನು ‘ವಾಜಕ’ ಎಂಬ ವಾಯುಗಳೆಂದು ಸ್ಮರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಅವು ಅದನ್ನು ಮುಂದಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರೇರೇಪಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.

Word by Word

• kālāgniḥ: the Fire of Time (all-consuming cosmic fire)

• tat-śarasya eva: of that very arrow indeed

• sākṣāt: directly, manifestly

• tīkṣṇaḥ: sharp, piercing

• su-dāruṇaḥ: extremely terrible

• anīkam: a host, troop, battalion

• viṣa-sambhūtam: born from poison

• vāyavaḥ: winds, airs

• vājakaḥ: impellers, drivers, instigators

• smṛtāḥ: are remembered/known as

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya, describing the inner narrative of divine conflict)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Kala (Time)
• Agni
• Vayu

FAQs

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

It points to Shiva as Kāla (Time) and Kālāgni (time-fire), reminding the worshipper that the Linga signifies the transcendent Pati whose power dissolves impurity and bondage—turning even “poison-born” forces into instruments of purification.

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

Shiva-tattva is implied as the sovereign power behind dissolution and transformation: the arrow becomes Kālāgni (inevitable time-fire), while the winds act as impelling energies—showing Pati as the controller of destructive and dynamic cosmic functions.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The imagery supports Pāśupata-oriented inner practice: viṣa (poison) symbolizes pasha (binding impurity/affliction), and the yogin seeks Shiva’s grace so that turbulent prāṇa (vāyu) becomes a disciplined force that drives transformation rather than bondage.