Shloka 65

Devanagari script

कालो निशीथो वै प्रोक्तोमध्ययामद्वयं निशि । शिवपूजा विशेषेण तत्कालेऽभीष्टसिद्धिदा

Transliteration

kālo niśītho vai proktomadhyayāmadvayaṃ niśi | śivapūjā viśeṣeṇa tatkāle'bhīṣṭasiddhidā

Translation

The time called Niśītha is declared to be the middle two watches of the night. Worship of Lord Śiva performed especially at that time becomes the giver of the desired attainments.

Word by Word

• kālaḥ: the time/period
• kālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• niśīthaḥ: midnight
• niśīthaḥ: Vidhaya (विधेय/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśītha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• proktam: is declared/said
• proktam: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative verbal)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु) + prokta (क्त-प्रत्यय; with pra-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) used predicatively: 'is said'

• madhya-yāma-dvayam: the two middle watches (of the night)
• madhya-yāma-dvayam: Visheshana (विशेषण/Apposition to niśīthaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + yāma (प्रातिपदिक) + dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः ('two middle watches')

• niśi: in the night
• niśi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā/niś (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• śiva-pūjā: Śiva-worship
• śiva-pūjā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ('worship of Śiva')

• viśeṣeṇa: especially
• viśeṣeṇa: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (instrumental used adverbially): 'especially'

• tat-kāle: at that time
• tat-kāle: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ('at that time')

• abhīṣṭa-siddhi-dā: granting desired accomplishments
• abhīṣṭa-siddhi-dā: Vidhaya (विधेय/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhīṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + siddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + dā (प्रातिपदिक; from √dā 'giver')
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ('giver of desired attainments'); विशेषण (of śiva-pūjā)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Highlights niśītha (midnight) as a potency-time for Śiva-upāsanā; such kāla-viśeṣa is treated as a grace-conducive window where iṣṭa-siddhi is more readily obtained through focused worship.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It highlights Niśītha (the midnight middle watches) as a spiritually potent window when Śiva-pūjā yields swift fruition, aligning the devotee’s bhakti with a time traditionally linked to inner stillness and heightened receptivity to Śiva’s grace.

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

The verse supports Saguna worship through timed ritual devotion—especially Linga-pūjā—teaching that disciplined worship at Niśītha draws tangible blessings (abhīṣṭa-siddhi) while also turning the mind toward Śiva as the supreme Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva-pūjā at Niśītha (midnight), ideally with mantra-japa (e.g., Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), offering water/bilva to the Liṅga, and steady meditation on Śiva for focused fulfillment of righteous intentions.