Shloka 59

Adhyaya 40: Kali-yuga Lakshana, Yuga-sandhyamsha, and the Re-emergence of Dharma

Devanagari script

विनिघ्नन्सर्वभूतानि शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः कृत्वा बीजावशेषां तु पृथिवीं क्रूरकर्मणः

Transliteration

vinighnansarvabhūtāni śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ kṛtvā bījāvaśeṣāṃ tu pṛthivīṃ krūrakarmaṇaḥ

Translation

அந்த கொடுஞ்செயலன் எல்லா உயிர்களையும் நூற்றுக்கணக்காகவும், பின்னர் ஆயிரக்கணக்காகவும் கொன்றான்; பூமியை ‘விதை-மிச்சம்’ மட்டுமாய்—எதிர்காலப் படைப்பின் சாத்தியமட்டுமாய்—மாற்றினான்।

Word by Word

• vinighnan: striking down, slaying

• sarva-bhūtāni: all beings/creatures

• śataśaḥ: by hundreds

• atha: then

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands

• kṛtvā: having made, having rendered

• bīja-avaśeṣām: leaving only seed-remnants, reduced to seed-state

• tu: indeed/but

• pṛthivīm: the earth

• krūra-karmaṇaḥ: of the cruel-acting one (agent of harsh deeds)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

FAQs

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

It frames worldly forms as destructible and transient, while the enduring “seed-state” points to the Linga as Shiva’s stable ground (Pati) beyond manifested change—encouraging worship that seeks the imperishable rather than mere worldly continuity.

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

By implying a withdrawal of gross forms into bīja (potential), the verse aligns with Shiva-tattva as the sovereign Pati who can dissolve names-and-forms without annihilating the underlying potency—maintaining order across cycles through his lordship over manifestation and re-manifestation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway is vairāgya (dispassion) central to Pāśupata-oriented discipline: contemplating dissolution of all bhūtas helps the pashu loosen pasha (bondage) and turn the mind toward Pati through steady japa, dhyāna, and Linga-upāsanā.