Shloka 18
सतीचरिते पितृगृहे आशीर्वाद-वचनम् तथा यौवनारम्भः — Satī at her father’s house: blessings and the onset of youth
माघे तु पौर्णमास्यां स कृत्वा जागरणं निशि । आर्द्रवस्त्रा नदीतीरेऽकरोच्छंकरपूजनम्
māghe tu paurṇamāsyāṃ sa kṛtvā jāgaraṇaṃ niśi | ārdravastrā nadītīre'karocchaṃkarapūjanam
On the full-moon day in the month of Māgha, he kept vigil through the night; clad in damp garments on the riverbank, he performed worship of Śaṅkara, Lord Śiva.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Sthala Purana: Though set at a riverbank (nadītīra), the verse is not anchored to a named Jyotirliṅga; it reflects tīrtha-associated Śiva-pūjā where snāna/ārdravastra signifies purification and vrata intensity.
Significance: General teaching: tīrtha-sannidhāna (riverbank worship) and bodily austerity (wet garments) heighten vrata merit and single-pointedness toward Śaṅkara.
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: liberating
FAQs
The verse highlights vrata-bhakti: keeping night vigil (jāgaraṇa) and worshipping Śiva on an auspicious lunar time, showing disciplined devotion that purifies the soul (paśu) and turns attention toward Pati (Lord Śiva).
Śaṅkara-pūjana here indicates Saguna worship—approaching Śiva through ritual devotion (often centered on the Śiva-liṅga) with time-sanctified observances like Pūrṇimā and night vigil, which steady the mind for grace.
It suggests jāgaraṇa (staying awake in devotional remembrance) and performing Śiva pūjā near sacred waters; practitioners may accompany it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and simple offerings in a spirit of purity.