Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8

नैमित्तिकविधिक्रमः

Occasional Rites and Their Procedure

Devanagari script

वैशाख्यां तु विशाखायां कुर्यात्पुष्पमहालयम् । ज्येष्ठे मूलाख्यनक्षत्रे शीतकुम्भं प्रदापयेत्

Transliteration

vaiśākhyāṃ tu viśākhāyāṃ kuryātpuṣpamahālayam | jyeṣṭhe mūlākhyanakṣatre śītakumbhaṃ pradāpayet

Translation

Au mois de Vaiśākha, lorsque domine la constellation Viśākhā, qu’on prépare un grand sanctuaire d’offrandes florales (puṣpa-mahālaya) pour le culte de Śiva. Au mois de Jyeṣṭha, lorsque se présente le nakṣatra nommé Mūlā, qu’on offre une jarre d’eau rafraîchissante — acte de bhakti qui apaise les êtres et réjouit le Seigneur.

Word by Word

• vaiśākhyām: in (the month) Vaiśākha / on Vaiśākhī
• vaiśākhyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaiśākhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; locative of time (कालाधिकरण)

• tu: indeed/and
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात) indicating emphasis/contrast

• viśākhāyām: in (the nakṣatra) Viśākhā
• viśākhāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; locative of time/asterism

• kuryāt: should make/perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, parasmaipada

• puṣpa: flower
• puṣpa: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: First member in compound; 'flower'

• mahālayam: a great flower-abode/flower pavilion
• mahālayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahālaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa 'puṣpa-mahālaya' = great abode/collection of flowers (flower pavilion/arrangement)

• jyeṣṭhe: in (the nakṣatra) Jyeṣṭhā
• jyeṣṭhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (nakṣatra-name), Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; locative of time

• mūla: Mūlā
• mūla: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūlā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: First member in compound; nakṣatra-name 'Mūlā'

• ākhya: named
• ākhya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjectival member meaning 'named/called'

• nakṣatre: in the nakṣatra called Mūlā
• nakṣatre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa 'mūlākhya-nakṣatra' = the nakṣatra called Mūlā

• śīta: cool
• śīta: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: First member in compound; 'cool/cold'

• kumbham: a cool (water) pot
• kumbham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana; karmadhāraya 'śīta-kumbha' = a cool-water pot

• pradāpayet: should cause to be given/should donate
• pradāpayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (धातु) / causative (णिजन्त)
• Form: Causative verb (णिजन्त) from √dā with upasarga pra-; Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Prathama puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, parasmaipada

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a specific Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse gives a calendrical vrata/pujā schedule (nakṣatra–māsa based) for pleasing Śiva through seasonal offerings and dāna.

Significance: Merit through timed upacāras: floral pavilion (puṣpa-mahālaya) and cooling-water charity (śīta-kumbha-dāna) are framed as acts that delight Śiva and relieve beings—thus accruing puṇya and Śiva’s prasāda.

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It links devotion to Śiva with compassionate acts performed at auspicious times: adorning worship with flowers (beauty offered to the Pati) and donating cooling water (relief offered to living beings). In Shaiva Siddhanta, such puja and dāna purify the pashu (bound soul) and loosen pāśa (bondage) through grace-inviting devotion.

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

The verse prescribes tangible, saguna modes of worship—flower arrangements and ritual charity—well-suited to Linga-puja where Śiva is approached through sacred form. These offerings express bhakti and reverence, preparing the mind for deeper contemplation of Śiva beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is seasonal Shiva-puja: create a flower-pavilion/abundant flower offering in Vaiśākha under Viśākhā, and donate a cool water-pot in Jyeṣṭha under Mūlā. While not explicit here, such puja is traditionally accompanied by japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and respectful observances of purity.