Shloka 12

स्नानविधिः — गायत्र्यावाहन, सूर्यवन्दन, तर्पण, पञ्चमहायज्ञ, भस्मस्नान, मन्त्रस्नान

Devanagari script

यज्ञोपवीती देवानां निवीती ऋषितर्पणम् प्राचीनावीती विप्रेन्द्र पितॄणां तर्पयेत् क्रमात्

Transliteration

yajñopavītī devānāṃ nivītī ṛṣitarpaṇam prācīnāvītī viprendra pitṝṇāṃ tarpayet kramāt

Translation

Wearing the sacred thread (yajñopavīta) in the upavīta manner, one should offer tarpaṇa to the Devas; wearing it in the nivīta manner, one should offer tarpaṇa to the Ṛṣis; and wearing it in the prācīnāvīta manner, O best of brāhmaṇas, one should in due order offer tarpaṇa to the Pitṛs.

Word by Word

• yajñopavītī: with the sacred thread worn as upavīta (over the left shoulder)

• devānām: to the Devas

• nivītī: with the thread worn as nivīta (resting/looped in the prescribed manner)

• ṛṣi-tarpaṇam: libation (tarpana) to the Ṛṣis

• prācīna-āvītī: with the thread worn as prācīnāvīta (over the right shoulder, for ancestral rites)

• vipra-indra: O best of Brahmins

• pitṝṇām: to the Pitṛs (ancestors)

• tarpayet: should satisfy/offer libations

• kramāt: in sequence, in proper order

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating traditional ritual instructions within the Linga Purana)

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Rishis
• Pitrs

FAQs

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

It establishes ritual purity and right order (krama) for offerings—Deva, Ṛṣi, and Pitṛ—so that Shiva-puja and Linga-archana are performed on a properly consecrated foundation of dharma and gratitude to the cosmic, seer, and ancestral lineages.

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

Indirectly, it reflects Shiva as Pati—the Lord who upholds cosmic order—where correct rites align the pashu (individual soul) with ṛta/dharma, loosening pasha (bondage) through disciplined conduct that supports higher Shaiva worship.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The practice is tarpana (ritual libation) with specific yajñopavīta positions—upavīta for Devas, nivīta for Ṛṣis, and prācīnāvīta for Pitṛs—serving as preparatory karmic discipline that complements Shaiva puja and Pashupata-oriented inner purification.