Shloka 25

Matsya Purana — The Maheshvara Vow: Śiva-Caturdaśī Vrata

Devanagari script

अर्कपुष्पैः कदम्बैश्च शतपत्त्र्या तथोत्पलैः एकैकेन चतुर्दश्योर् अर्चयेत्पार्वतीपतिम् //

Transliteration

arkapuṣpaiḥ kadambaiśca śatapattryā tathotpalaiḥ ekaikena caturdaśyor arcayetpārvatīpatim //

Translation

With arka-flowers, kadamba blossoms, the śatapatrī (hundred-petalled flower), and also lotuses, on the caturdaśī day one should worship Pārvatī’s Lord (Śiva), offering them one by one.

Word by Word

अर्कपुष्पैः (arkapuṣpaiḥ)with arka flowers (Calotropis)

कदम्बैः (kadambaiḥ)with kadamba blossoms

च (ca)and

शतपत्त्र्या (śatapattryā)with śatapatrī, the hundred-petalled flower (often understood as a many-petalled lotus/rose)

तथा (tathā)likewise

उत्पलैः (utpalaiḥ)with utpala lotuses (blue lotus/water-lily)

एकैकेन (ekaikena)one by one, each singly

चतुर्दश्योः (caturdaśyoḥ)on the fourteenth (tithi), i.e., caturdaśī

अर्चयेत् (arcayet)should worship, should offer reverential पूजा

पार्वतीपतिम् (pārvatīpatim)the Lord of Pārvatī, i.e., Śiva

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying prescribed ritual procedure within the Matsya Purāṇa

Entities Mentioned

Pārvatīpati (Śiva)PārvatīCaturdaśī (14th lunar day)

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the creation or dissolution (Pralaya)?

This verse is not about pralaya; it prescribes a ritual detail—worship of Śiva on caturdaśī using specific flowers offered one by one.

How does this verse relate to the duties of a King or Householder?

It supports the gṛhastha/householder’s dharma of regular tithi-based worship (vrata-pūjā), emphasizing disciplined offering (ekaikena) and appropriate materials for devotion.

What is the architectural or ritual significance mentioned here?

Ritually, it specifies approved floral materials (arka, kadamba, śatapatrī, utpala) and the timing (caturdaśī) for Śiva-arcana, highlighting sequential offering as a procedural rule.