Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

युगान्तेषु भविष्यन्ति स्वरक्षणपरायणाः अट्टशूला जनपदाः शिवशूलाश्चतुष्पथाः

Transliteration

yugānteṣu bhaviṣyanti svarakṣaṇaparāyaṇāḥ aṭṭaśūlā janapadāḥ śivaśūlāścatuṣpathāḥ

Translation

在诸劫将尽之时，众人将一心只求自保。诸国土仿佛遍立三叉戟，四衢路口亦以湿婆之三叉戟为记——此乃恐惧、暴力与防御警惕胜过正法（dharma）的时代征兆。

Word by Word

• युगान्तेषु: at the end of the yugas

• भविष्यन्ति: will come to be/will occur

• स्वरक्षण-परायणाः: devoted to self-protection/self-preservation

• अट्ट-शूला: bristling with raised tridents (aṭṭa = lifted/brandished, śūla = trident/spear)

• जनपदाः: towns, districts, settlements

• शिव-शूलाः: bearing Śiva’s trident/marked by Śiva’s śūla

• चतुष्पथाः: four-way crossroads/intersections

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames yuga-anta as a time of dharma’s decline and fear-driven living; in such conditions, Shaiva practice (including Linga-puja) becomes a stabilizing refuge where the Pashu turns toward Pati (Shiva) rather than relying only on worldly defenses.

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

By invoking the śūla as a pervasive public sign, the verse points to Shiva’s sovereign presence even in chaotic times—Pati remains the ultimate controller while the world of Pashus becomes bound by Pāśa (fear, violence, insecurity).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

No specific rite is prescribed in this line; the implied takeaway is to adopt Shaiva disciplines—Linga-upasana and Pashupata-oriented inner restraint—to cut the bondage of fear that dominates yuga-anta society.