Shloka 69
Kālajñāna (Knowledge of Time) and Mṛtyu-cihna (Signs of Death): Śiva’s Instruction to Umā
वामचारः समाख्यातो दक्षिणं शृणु सांप्रतम् । अष्टाविंशप्रवाहेण तिथिमानेन जीवति
vāmacāraḥ samākhyāto dakṣiṇaṃ śṛṇu sāṃpratam | aṣṭāviṃśapravāheṇa tithimānena jīvati
Thus the leftward course (vāmacāra) has been described. Now, at this very time, hear of the rightward course (dakṣiṇa): it proceeds by the stream of twenty-eight and is governed by the measure of the lunar days (tithis).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
The verse highlights that Shaiva practice is not arbitrary: spiritual discipline is aligned with cosmic order (kāla). By pointing to tithi-based regulation, it emphasizes niyama—structured observance that supports purity, steadiness, and progress toward Shiva (Pati) in a Shaiva Siddhanta sense.
Linga worship in the Shiva Purana is often performed with attention to auspicious timings (tithis, vrata days, monthly observances). This verse signals that the ‘rightward’ regulated mode of practice honors Saguna Shiva through orderly ritual, calendar-based vows, and disciplined worship.
It suggests tithi-observant worship: performing Shiva-puja, vrata, japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and related disciplines on prescribed lunar days (e.g., pradosha, chaturdashi/Mahashivratri), keeping practice aligned with the lunar sacred calendar.