Shloka 41

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

Devanagari script

दिनानि पंच चारभ्य पंचविंशद्दिनावधि । वामाचारगतौ नादः प्रमाणं कथितं तव

Transliteration

dināni paṃca cārabhya paṃcaviṃśaddināvadhi | vāmācāragatau nādaḥ pramāṇaṃ kathitaṃ tava

Translation

Do quinto dia até o vigésimo quinto, quando, na disciplina, se avança pelo curso da esquerda (vāmācāra), o som interior que surge (nāda) é-te declarado como sinal seguro e medida do progresso.

Word by Word

• दिनानि: days
• दिनानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्द; (here) विशेषणरूपेण ‘दिनानि’ इत्यस्य संख्या

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• आरभ्य: starting from
• आरभ्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); ‘having begun from/starting from’

• पञ्चविंशत्: twenty-five
• पञ्चविंशत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca + viṃśati (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याशब्द; द्विगु-समास (25); (here) ‘दिन’ इत्यस्य संख्या

• दिनावधि: up to a limit of days
• दिनावधि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dina + avadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (दिनानाम् अवधिः = limit in days)

• वामाचारगतौ: in the Vāmācāra practice/path
• वामाचारगतौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāma + ācāra + gata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (वामाचारस्य गतिः/गतौ = in the course/practice of Vāmācāra)

• नादः: nāda (inner sound)
• नादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रमाणम्: measure/standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karma/Predicate (कर्म/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• कथितम्: has been stated
• कथितम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘has been said’

• तव: to you/your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Lord Shiva (instructing Goddess Parvati in the Umāsaṃhitā’s yogic-philosophical discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It presents nāda (the subtle inner sound) as a practical indicator of inner purification and steadiness in yoga—showing that progress is measured by lived inner transformation, not outer display, under Shiva’s guiding grace (Pati) toward liberation.

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

In Shaiva practice, Saguna worship (Linga, mantra, devotion) stabilizes the mind; as concentration ripens, the seeker begins to perceive subtler signs like nāda. Thus external Linga-upāsanā supports the inward turn where Shiva is realized as the indwelling Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Steady daily japa and dhyāna leading to inner listening (nāda-anusandhāna). The takeaway is consistency over a sustained period, using mantra-focused meditation; traditional Shaiva supports like vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa may accompany the sādhana as aids to purity and focus.