Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 88
पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow
घृताक्तो यश्चरेदेतद्व्रतं व्रतपरायणः । द्वित्रैकदिवसं वापि स च कश्चन नैष्ठिकः
ghṛtākto yaścaredetadvrataṃ vrataparāyaṇaḥ | dvitraikadivasaṃ vāpi sa ca kaścana naiṣṭhikaḥ
Wer, mit Ghee gesalbt, dieses Gelübde vollzieht und den Gelübden standhaft ergeben ist—sei es zwei Tage, drei Tage oder auch nur einen Tag—wird zu einem wahren naiṣṭhika, einem entschlossenen Bewahrer heiliger Zucht.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Significance: Highlights a concrete vrata-marker (ghṛtākta—anointed with ghee) and short duration (1–3 days) still yielding naiṣṭhika status, reflecting Purāṇic ‘condensed merit’ logic tied to sincerity and intensity.
Role: nurturing
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It teaches that in Shaiva dharma, sincere resolve and disciplined observance matter more than duration—even a short vow done with steadiness purifies the paśu (individual soul) and turns one toward Shiva as Pati (the Lord).
The verse supports Saguna Shiva worship through vrata: bodily and mental discipline offered to Shiva (often centered on Linga-puja) becomes a vehicle for grace, making the practitioner ‘naiṣṭhika’—firm in worship.
It indicates a vrata performed with bodily purity and consecration (here, being anointed with ghee), emphasizing steadfastness; in practice this commonly accompanies Shiva-vratas such as fasting, japa of the Panchakshara, and focused worship.