Shloka 24

सूर्यरथ-रचना, ध्रुव-प्रेरणा, मास-गणाः च

Jyotish-chakra: Surya’s Motion and Monthly Retinues

Devanagari script

वासन्तिकस् तथा ग्रैष्मः शुभो वै वार्षिकस् तथा शारदश् च हिमश्चैव शैशिर ऋतवः स्मृताः

Transliteration

vāsantikas tathā graiṣmaḥ śubho vai vārṣikas tathā śāradaś ca himaścaiva śaiśira ṛtavaḥ smṛtāḥ

Translation

The seasons are remembered as: Vāsantika (spring), Graiṣma (summer), the auspicious Vārṣika (rainy season), Śārada (autumn), Hima (winter), and Śaiśira (the dewy season). Thus the cycle of ṛtus is taught as part of the Lord (Pati)’s ordered manifestation in the world.

Word by Word

• वासन्तिकः: spring season

• तथा: and

• ग्रैष्मः: summer season

• शुभः: auspicious, beneficial

• वै: indeed

• वार्षिकः: rainy/monsoon season

• तथा: and

• शारदः: autumn season

• च: and

• हिमः: winter (cold season)

• च एव: and also

• शैशिरः: dewy/late-winter season

• ऋतवः: seasons

• स्मृताः: are remembered/are traditionally stated

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

FAQs

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

It frames seasonal time (ṛtu-cakra) as a sacred order within manifestation, guiding when and how devotees align vrata, abhiṣeka, and pūjā to honor Pati (Shiva) through regulated observance.

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

By listing the ṛtus as an established order, it implies Shiva-tattva as the governing principle (Pati) behind temporal cycles—time and change are experienced in the world, yet rooted in the Lord’s sustaining ordinance.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Seasonal discipline: timing vrata, japa, and pūjā according to ṛtu—supporting Pāśupata-style niyama where the pashu (soul) reduces pasha (bondage) through steady, time-ordered sādhanā.