Shloka 18

Pāśupata-vrata Māhātmya: Dvādaśa-Liṅga Mahāvrata, Month-wise Dravya, and Pūjā-krama

Devanagari script

महाचरुर्निवेद्यः स्याद् आढकान्नमथापि वा एतद् वः कथितं पुण्यं शिवलिङ्गमहाव्रतम्

Transliteration

mahācarurnivedyaḥ syād āḍhakānnamathāpi vā etad vaḥ kathitaṃ puṇyaṃ śivaliṅgamahāvratam

Translation

Als nivedya soll man mahā-caru darbringen, eine große Gabe gekochten Reises, oder auch ein Maß (āḍhaka) an Speisegetreide. So ist euch dieses Verdienstvolle verkündet worden: das Große Gelübde des Śiva-Liṅga, eine Übung, die Pati (Śiva) erfreut und die Fesseln des pāśa (Bindung) des paśu (der verkörperten Seele) lockert.

Word by Word

• mahācaruḥ: a great cooked-rice oblation

• nivedyaḥ: to be offered/presented

• syāt: should be

• āḍhaka-annam: an āḍhaka-measure of food (grain/meal)

• atha api vā: or even

• etat: this

• vaḥ: to you (all)

• kathitam: has been told/expounded

• puṇyam: meritorious, purifying

• śivaliṅga-mahāvratam: the great vow/observance centered on the Shiva-Linga

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Śaiva vrata-vidhi to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shiva-Linga

FAQs

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

It specifies acceptable naivedya for Śivaliṅga worship—either a substantial cooked-rice oblation (mahācaru) or even a modest āḍhaka measure of food—showing that sincere observance of the Śivaliṅga Mahāvrata is meritorious regardless of scale.

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

By framing the vow as “puṇya” and centered on the Liṅga, it implies Śiva as Pati—the supreme Lord who is pleased through liṅga-upāsanā and who grants inner purification that leads the pashu toward release from pāśa.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A vrata-based Śaiva puja practice: offering food (caru/anna) as naivedya to the Liṅga as part of the Śivaliṅga Mahāvrata, supporting the devotional discipline that complements Pāśupata-oriented purification.