Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 12

नैमित्तिकविधिक्रमः

Occasional Rites and Their Procedure

Devanagari script

कार्तिक्यां कृतिकायोगे दद्याद्दीपसहस्रकम् । मार्गशीर्षे तथार्द्रायां घृतेन स्नापयेच्छिवम्

Transliteration

kārtikyāṃ kṛtikāyoge dadyāddīpasahasrakam | mārgaśīrṣe tathārdrāyāṃ ghṛtena snāpayecchivam

Translation

Au mois de Kārttika, lorsque la constellation Kṛttikā est en conjonction, qu’on offre mille lampes. De même, au mois de Mārgaśīrṣa, lorsque Ārdrā prévaut, qu’on baigne le Seigneur Śiva de ghee, en abhiṣeka.

Word by Word

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the month of) Kārtika
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• कृतिकायोगे: at the occurrence of (the nakṣatra) Kṛttikā
• कृतिकायोगे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतिका (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of Kṛttikā’ + ‘conjunction/occurrence’)

• दद्यात्: should give/offer
• दद्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दीप-सहस्रकम्: a thousand lamps
• दीप-सहस्रकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of lamps’ + ‘a thousand-set/collection’)

• मार्गशीर्षे: in (the month of) Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक (adverb: likewise/also)

• आर्द्रायाम्: in (the nakṣatra) Ārdrā
• आर्द्रायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्द्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; कालाधिकरण (nakṣatra-locative)

• घृतेन: with ghee
• घृतेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच् causative: स्नापय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: cause to bathe)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga-specific legend; it prescribes Kārttika dīpa-dāna (thousand lamps) and Mārgaśīrṣa ghṛta-snāna/abhiṣeka of Śiva on specified nakṣatras—typical of pan-Indian Śiva temple observance.

Significance: Kārttika lamp-offering is famed for dispelling inner darkness (ajñāna) and accruing great merit; ghṛta-abhiṣeka signifies richness, healing, and devotional intimacy with the liṅga.

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches timed devotion (kāla-niyama) as a support for bhakti: offering light and performing abhiṣeka on sacred lunar days refines the devotee’s intention and turns worship toward Pati (Śiva), the liberator of the bound soul (paśu).

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

Both acts—offering lamps and bathing with ghee—are classic forms of saguna-upāsanā directed to Śiva as the Liṅga, where tangible offerings become vehicles for inner surrender and remembrance of the transcendent Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform dīpa-dāna (offering many lamps) in Kārttika on Kṛttikā-yoga, and do ghṛta-abhiṣeka (ghee bathing) to the Śiva-liṅga in Mārgaśīrṣa on Ārdrā; accompany the rite with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” as focused meditation.