Shloka 87

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मणस्तदहः प्रोक्तं रात्रिश्चैतावती स्मृता अनार्जवं जडीभावो भूतानाम् आ युगक्षयात्

Transliteration

brahmaṇastadahaḥ proktaṃ rātriścaitāvatī smṛtā anārjavaṃ jaḍībhāvo bhūtānām ā yugakṣayāt

Translation

如是，梵天（Brahmā）之“昼”已被宣说；其“夜”亦被忆念为同等之量。直至劫末，众生堕入不正与迟钝的惰性之态——为遮蔽之力所系缚，如同 paśu（被缚之众）——等待时轮回转。

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मणः: of Brahmā

• तत्: that

• अहः: day

• प्रोक्तम्: has been stated/declared

• रात्रिः: night

• च: and

• एतावती: of this same extent/as much

• स्मृता: is remembered/held to be

• अनार्जवम्: lack of straightforwardness/non-uprightness

• जडीभावः: becoming inert/dullness (state of jada)

• भूतानाम्: of beings/creatures

• आ: until

• युगक्षयात्: the end/decay of the yuga (yuga’s termination).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the doctrine of cosmic time to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

By defining Brahmā’s day and night as measures of cosmic manifestation and dissolution, the verse frames Linga worship as devotion to Pati (Śiva) who stands beyond time-cycles and grants release to the paśu from pasha.

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

Though Śiva is not named here, the teaching implies a Shaiva Siddhanta view: time and cyclic decline (anārjava, jaḍībhāva) govern embodied beings, while Shiva-tattva as Pati transcends these cycles and can remove veiling and bondage.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The takeaway aligns with Pāśupata-Śaiva discipline: countering jaḍībhāva (tamas/inertia) through steady japa, dhyāna, and Linga-pūjā so the paśu is not carried helplessly to yuga’s end under pasha.