अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना
संभिन्नो मारुतो यस्य मर्मस्थानानि कृन्तति अद्भिः स्पृष्टो न हृष्येत तस्य मृत्युरुपस्थितः
saṃbhinno māruto yasya marmasthānāni kṛntati adbhiḥ spṛṣṭo na hṛṣyeta tasya mṛtyurupasthitaḥ
Apabila prāṇa-vāyu dalam diri menjadi kacau hingga seakan-akan menghiris titik-titik marman yang halus, dan sentuhan air pun tidak lagi memberi rasa segar atau gembira—ketahuilah bahawa Maut telah mendekat.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)
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.
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.
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.