Shloka 30

व्यपोहनस्तवनिरूपण-प्रसङ्गे नक्तभोजन-शिवव्रतविधिः (वार्षिक-प्रतिमास-क्रमः)

Devanagari script

पौर्णमास्यां भवं स्नाप्य पञ्चगव्यघृतादिभिः श्वेतं गोमिथुनं दत्त्वा सो ऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

paurṇamāsyāṃ bhavaṃ snāpya pañcagavyaghṛtādibhiḥ śvetaṃ gomithunaṃ dattvā so 'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

Am Vollmondtag, nachdem man Bhava (Herrn Śiva) mit den fünf Kuhprodukten sowie mit Ghee und dergleichen gebadet hat und ein weißes Rinderpaar verschenkt, erlangt man die Frucht des Aśvamedha-Opfers. Im Śaiva Siddhānta werden solches Liṅga-Baden und solches Dāna zu reinigenden Upāyas, die durch Bhakti zu Pati (Śiva) das pāśa (Band) des paśu (Einzelseele) lockern.

Word by Word

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day (Pūrṇimā)

• भवं (भवम्): Bhava, Lord Śiva

• स्नाप्य: having bathed (ritually)

• पञ्चगव्यघृतादिभिः: with pañcagavya and ghee etc.

• पञ्चगव्य: five cow-products (milk, curd, ghee, urine, dung)

• घृत: ghee

• आदिभिः: and other auspicious substances

• श्वेतम्: white

• गोमिथुनम्: a pair of cattle (cow and bull)

• दत्त्वा: having given (as charity)

• सः: he/that devotee

• अश्वमेधफलम्: the fruit (merit) of the Aśvamedha

• लभेत्: obtains/attains

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that Pūrṇimā Linga-abhiṣeka with pañcagavya and ghee, coupled with dāna of a white cattle-pair, is a high-merit Shaiva rite—so efficacious it is said to yield Aśvamedha-like fruit, emphasizing Śiva as the supreme recipient (Pati) of worship.

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

By naming Śiva as “Bhava” and placing him as the focus of abhiṣeka and offering, the verse presents Shiva-tattva as the purifying Lord (Pati) whose grace transforms ritual devotion into liberation-oriented merit for the paśu, weakening pāśa through consecrated action.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A ritual practice is highlighted: Pūrṇimā Śiva-abhiṣeka (Linga-snāna) with pañcagavya and ghṛta, followed by dāna (gift) of a white cow-and-bull pair; it functions as a bhakti-based upāya aligned with Shaiva vrata discipline rather than a purely internal yogic technique.