Shloka 16
दशशैवव्रतप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the Ten Principal Śaiva Vratas
व्रतान्येतानि नियमात्कर्तव्यानि द्विजन्मभिः । व्रतान्येतानि तु त्यक्त्वा जायन्ते तस्करा द्विजाः
vratānyetāni niyamātkartavyāni dvijanmabhiḥ | vratānyetāni tu tyaktvā jāyante taskarā dvijāḥ
These vows must be performed with discipline by the twice-born. But if these vows are abandoned, those very twice-born become thieves—robbers of their own dharma.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Significance: Warns that neglect of niyama undermines dharma; motivates sustained vrata practice for eligibility to receive Śiva’s anugraha.
FAQs
The verse teaches that vrata (sacred observance) is not optional ornamentation but a protective discipline that guards dharma; abandoning it turns one into a “thief” who steals from one’s own spiritual merit and right conduct, obstructing grace and liberation.
Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is sustained by niyama—regularity, purity, and vow-keeping. When vows are dropped, worship becomes hollow and self-serving; when upheld, devotion becomes fit to receive Saguna Shiva’s anugraha (grace) and leads the mind toward the higher, nirguna truth.
Maintain a steady vrata with daily Shiva-puja—japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), cleanliness and restraint, and consistent observances (especially during pilgrimage or Mahashivratri), rather than sporadic or convenience-based practice.