Shloka 11

दशशैवव्रतप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the Ten Principal Śaiva Vratas

Devanagari script

प्रत्यष्टम्यां प्रयत्नेन कर्तव्यं नक्तभोजनम् । कालाष्टम्यां विशेषेण हरे त्याज्यं हि भोजनम्

Transliteration

pratyaṣṭamyāṃ prayatnena kartavyaṃ naktabhojanam | kālāṣṭamyāṃ viśeṣeṇa hare tyājyaṃ hi bhojanam

Translation

On the day preceding the Aṣṭamī, one should diligently observe naktabhojana, eating only at night. But on the Kālāṣṭamī in particular, O Hara, food is to be wholly renounced.

Word by Word

• prati-aṣṭamyām: on each Aṣṭamī (8th lunar day)
• prati-aṣṭamyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati (अव्यय) + aṣṭamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (locative singular)

• prayatnena: with effort
• prayatnena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental singular)

• kartavyam: should be done
• kartavyam: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + tavya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्—‘to be done/should be done’

• nakta-bhojanam: night-meal (eating at night only)
• nakta-bhojanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—नक्ते (रात्रौ) भोजनम्

• kāla-aṣṭamyām: on Kālāṣṭamī
• kāla-aṣṭamyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + aṣṭamī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—कालस्य/कालविशेषस्य अष्टमी (the Aṣṭamī of Kāla)

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘especially’

• hare: O Hari
• hare: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (vocative singular)

• tyājyam: should be avoided
• tyājyam: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tyaj (धातु) + ya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘to be abandoned/should be avoided’

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Hetu-sūcaka (हेतु-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• bhojanam: food/eating
• bhojanam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: Mahākāla is revered as the Lord of Time who grants protection from untimely death and fear; Kālāṣṭamī observance aligns with propitiating Śiva as Kāla/mahākāla through fasting and restraint.

Significance: Austerity on Kālāṣṭamī is held to pacify time-bound afflictions and purify pāśa; pilgrimage to Mahākāleśvara is sought for fearlessness and spiritual steadiness.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Kālī

Role: destructive

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Kālāṣṭamī (time-associated aṣṭamī observance; liminal ‘kāla’ emphasis)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches tapas (austerity) through regulated eating: restraint on the eve of Aṣṭamī and complete fasting on Kālāṣṭamī, offered as a devotional discipline to Hara that purifies the mind for Shiva-bhakti.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Food-restraint is presented as an offering of self-control to Saguna Shiva (Hara) during vrata-days; such discipline supports focused Linga-puja by reducing tamas and strengthening devotional steadiness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Observe naktabhojana on the prior day and upavasa (fasting) on Kālāṣṭamī, and pair it with Shiva-japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and simple Linga worship with a purified, restrained mind.