Adhyaya 40: Kali-yuga Lakshana, Yuga-sandhyamsha, and the Re-emergence of Dharma
ऋषयो मनवश्चैव सर्वे तुल्यप्रयोजनाः एवं वर्णाश्रमाणां तु प्रविभागो युगे युगे
ṛṣayo manavaścaiva sarve tulyaprayojanāḥ evaṃ varṇāśramāṇāṃ tu pravibhāgo yuge yuge
رِشی اور منو—سب کا مقصد ایک ہی ہے۔ اسی طرح ورن اور آشرم کی تقسیم ہر ہر یُگ میں ازسرِنو مقرر کی جاتی ہے۔
Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It frames varṇa–āśrama as a yuga-wise discipline serving one aim; in Linga worship, that aim is purity and right conduct that prepares the pashu (soul) to approach Pati (Śiva) through devotion and observance.
Indirectly, it implies a single telos behind changing outer forms: dharma adapts by yuga, but the supreme goal—turning toward the Lord (Pati) beyond all classifications—remains constant, reflecting Śiva as the steady reality amid temporal change.
It highlights yuga-appropriate dharma as the practical discipline—right duties, restraints, and life-stage observances—which in a Shaiva frame supports vrata, śauca (purity), and steady sādhanā that can culminate in Śiva-pūjā and Pāśupata-oriented yogic restraint.