Shloka 45
ज्योतिर्लिङ्गमाहात्म्य-प्रस्तावना तथा सोमनाथ-प्रसङ्गः
Prologue to the Glory and Origin of the Jyotirliṅgas; Somnātha Episode Begins
शिव उवाच । पक्षे च क्षीयतां चन्द्र कला ते च दिनेदिने । पुनश्च वर्द्धतां पक्षे सा कला च निरंतरम्
śiva uvāca | pakṣe ca kṣīyatāṃ candra kalā te ca dinedine | punaśca varddhatāṃ pakṣe sā kalā ca niraṃtaram
Śiva said: “In the dark fortnight, may your lunar digit wane day by day; and again, in the bright fortnight, may that same digit increase—thus continuously, without interruption.”
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Ishana
Jyotirlinga: Somanātha
Sthala Purana: Śiva establishes the perpetual lunar rhythm: waning in kṛṣṇa-pakṣa and waxing in śukla-pakṣa, thereby stabilizing Soma’s existence and cosmic timekeeping; this ordinance underlies Somanātha’s renown as regulator of Soma.
Significance: Seen as Śiva’s governance of kāla (time) and niyati (order); devotees seek stability, relief from cyclical suffering, and alignment with dharma.
Role: nurturing
Cosmic Event: Institution of the lunar cycle: kṛṣṇa-pakṣa (waning) and śukla-pakṣa (waxing) as a perpetual cosmic ordinance.
FAQs
It presents Śiva as Pati—the sovereign regulator of cosmic rhythm—showing that time’s cycles (waxing and waning) function by His ordinance, supporting dharma and the orderly movement of the world.
By depicting Śiva issuing a concrete command that governs the cosmos, the verse emphasizes Saguna Śiva—God with attributes—who compassionately maintains order and becomes approachable through Linga worship in the Purāṇic tradition.
A practical takeaway is to align vrata and japa with the lunar fortnights—especially Śiva-upāsanā on amāvasyā and pradoṣa—reciting the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with steady daily discipline.