Shloka 11

Adhyaya 84: शिवव्रतकथनम्

Uma–Maheshvara Vrata, Shula-dana, and Month-wise Ekabhakta Vrata

Devanagari script

शूलं च विधिना कृत्वा वर्षान्ते विनिवेदयेत् स्नाप्येशानं यजेद्भक्त्या सहस्रैः कमलैः सितैः

Transliteration

śūlaṃ ca vidhinā kṛtvā varṣānte vinivedayet snāpyeśānaṃ yajedbhaktyā sahasraiḥ kamalaiḥ sitaiḥ

Translation

Nachdem man den Dreizack (śūla) nach der vorgeschriebenen Weise gefertigt hat, soll man ihn am Jahresende darbringen. Nachdem man Īśāna (Śiva) gebadet hat, soll man Ihn in Bhakti verehren und tausend weiße Lotosblüten opfern.

Word by Word

• śūlam: trident (Shiva’s emblem)

• ca: and

• vidhinā: according to rule/rite

• kṛtvā: having made

• varṣānte: at the end of the year

• vinivedayet: should offer/present (as a ritual gift)

• snāpya: having bathed (ritually)

• īśānam: Īśāna, the Lord Shiva

• yajet: should worship

• bhaktyā: with devotion

• sahasraiḥ: with a thousand

• kamalaiḥ: lotuses

• sitaiḥ: white

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja procedure to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Ishana

FAQs

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

It prescribes a concrete Linga-Puja discipline: ritually bathing Shiva (Īśāna) and making a formal year-end offering (the śūla), reinforcing niyama (rule-bound worship) joined with bhakti to purify the pashu (individual soul) under Pati’s grace.

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

By naming Him Īśāna, it emphasizes Shiva as the sovereign Pati—lordly, purifying, and approachable through devotion—who accepts both symbolic emblems (śūla) and pure offerings (white lotuses) when performed according to vidhi.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A Shaiva puja-vidhi centered on abhiṣeka (snāna/bathing) and archana with a thousand white lotuses, combined with a calendrical vrata-like observance (year-end offering), aligning external ritual with inner bhakti found in Pāśupata-oriented discipline.