Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8
कालमान-निर्णयः
Determination of the Measures of Time
एतद्दिव्यमहोरात्रमिति शास्त्रस्य निश्चयः । दक्षिणं चायनं रात्रिस्तथोदगयनं दिनम्
etaddivyamahorātramiti śāstrasya niścayaḥ | dakṣiṇaṃ cāyanaṃ rātristathodagayanaṃ dinam
Thus, scripture concludes that this is the divine day-and-night: the sun’s southern course (dakṣiṇāyana) is the ‘night’, and the northern course (udagayana/uttarāyaṇa) is the ‘day’.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Cosmic Event: Divine day-night defined by uttarāyaṇa (day) and dakṣiṇāyana (night)
FAQs
It frames time (kāla) as a sacred, divinely ordered rhythm, encouraging the seeker to see cosmic cycles as part of Shiva’s governance and to cultivate steady sādhanā beyond ordinary notions of day and night.
By sacralizing the great cycles of time, the verse supports regular, disciplined worship—Linga-pūjā and remembrance of Saguna Shiva—performed with awareness that all temporal movements unfold within Shiva’s cosmic order.
Maintain daily mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and Linga-upāsanā with consistency across seasons—treating both dakṣiṇāyana and uttarāyaṇa as equally fit for devotion and inner yoga.