Shloka 21

Śivarātri Vrata: Timing, Accidental Merit, and the Complete Night-Vigil Procedure

Devanagari script

यन्मया श्रद्धया दत्तं प्रीयतां तेन मे प्रभुः / इति क्षमाप्य च व्रती कुर्याद्वादशवार्षिकम्

Transliteration

yanmayā śraddhayā dattaṃ prīyatāṃ tena me prabhuḥ / iti kṣamāpya ca vratī kuryādvādaśavārṣikam

Translation

“May my Lord be pleased with what I have given in faith.” Saying thus, and seeking forgiveness, the observer of the vow should perform the twelve-year observance.

Word by Word

• यत्: what / that which
• यत्: Karma (Object; relative pronoun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agentive by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (given thing)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु √दा) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रीयताम्: may (he) be pleased
• प्रीयताम्: Karta (injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री (धातु √प्री)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); आत्मनेपद

• तेन: by that / thereby
• तेन: Karana (by that/thereby)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (1st person pronoun), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• क्षमाप्य: having sought forgiveness
• क्षमाप्य: Purvakala (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षम् (धातु √क्षम्) + णिच्? (causative sense) + ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive, ल्यप्), ‘having asked forgiveness / having apologized’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• व्रती: the vow-observer
• व्रती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रतिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Karta (injunctive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु √कृ)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); परस्मैपद

• द्वादशवार्षिकम्: the twelve-year (observance)
• द्वादशवार्षिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + वार्षिक (प्रातिपदिक; components: द्वादश ‘twelve’ + वार्षिक ‘annual/lasting a year’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (qualifying an implied कर्म like व्रतम्)

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in instruction to Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra, within the Viṣṇu–Garuḍa dialogue framework)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Offer the fruit of giving to the Lord with faith; seek forgiveness for defects; sustain disciplined vrata over a long term (dvādaśa-vārṣika).

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-prasāda-buddhi and doṣa-buddhi: acknowledging imperfection, surrendering results, and purifying the antaḥkaraṇa through sustained sādhana.

Application: When donating or performing vows, explicitly dedicate the act to God; include a brief kṣamā-prārthanā for omissions; keep a realistic long-term discipline plan.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: vrata-vidhi passages that prescribe saṅkalpa, dedication, and kṣamā-prārthanā after rites; Garuda Purana: emphasis on śraddhā as the ‘life’ of ritual acts

FAQs

What is the importance of śraddhā (faith) in dāna according to the Garuda Purana?

This verse frames the offering as spiritually effective when it is given with śraddhā and consciously dedicated to the Lord—seeking divine pleasure rather than mere external ritual credit.

How does this verse explain the role of forgiveness (kṣamā) in vrata practice?

It instructs the vratī to explicitly ask pardon—implying that humility and acknowledgement of possible mistakes are integral to completing a vow correctly and purely.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When doing charity or a religious observance, dedicate it inwardly to God, keep the intention sincere, and conclude with a brief prayer asking forgiveness for errors—then maintain consistency in the chosen discipline.