Shloka 3

यतिप्रायश्चित्तविधानम्

Ascetic Atonements and Discipline

Devanagari script

तत्कर्मणा विनाप्येष तिष्ठतीति परा श्रुतिः क्षणमेवं प्रयोज्यं तु आयुष्यं तु विधारणम्

Transliteration

tatkarmaṇā vināpyeṣa tiṣṭhatīti parā śrutiḥ kṣaṇamevaṃ prayojyaṃ tu āyuṣyaṃ tu vidhāraṇam

Translation

Mesmo sem aquele ato específico, isto (a força vital) permanece—assim declara a suprema Śruti. Portanto, ainda que por um só instante, deve-se aplicá-lo assim: para sustentar e firmar a duração da vida.

Word by Word

• tat-karmāṇā: by that action/that rite

• vinā api: even without

• eṣaḥ: this (prāṇa/life-principle)

• tiṣṭhati iti: remains/stands thus

• parā śrutiḥ: the highest Vedic revelation

• kṣaṇam: a moment

• evaṁ: in this manner

• prayojyam: should be applied/used

• tu: indeed

• āyuṣyam: lifespan/vital longevity

• tu: indeed

• vidhāraṇam: sustaining/maintaining/holding firmly

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana; verse framed as an appeal to Śruti authority)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It shifts emphasis from mere external performance to disciplined use of time and prāṇa-dhāraṇa, implying that devotion to Shiva (Pati) should be continuous and inward—each moment offered and regulated for spiritual steadiness.

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

By invoking “parā śruti,” it implies a reality that can sustain the pashu’s life-principle beyond dependence on a single karma—pointing to Shiva as Pati, the higher ground of order and support that transcends karmic mechanics.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Āyuṣya-vidhāraṇa through moment-to-moment discipline—read as prāṇa-dhāraṇa (holding the life-breath) aligned with Shaiva observance, where even a kṣaṇa is to be used for inner stabilization and remembrance of Shiva.