Shloka 13

Śivarātri Vrata: Timing, Accidental Merit, and the Complete Night-Vigil Procedure

Devanagari script

चतुर्दश्यां निराहारो भूत्वा शम्भो परे ऽहनि / भोक्ष्ये ऽहं भुक्तिमुक्त्यर्थं शरणं मे भवेश्वर

Transliteration

caturdaśyāṃ nirāhāro bhūtvā śambho pare 'hani / bhokṣye 'haṃ bhuktimuktyarthaṃ śaraṇaṃ me bhaveśvara

Translation

ചതുര്ദശിയിൽ നിരാഹാരനായി, ഹേ ശംഭോ, അടുത്ത ദിവസം ഭോഗവും മോക്ഷവും ലഭിക്കുവാൻ ഞാൻ ആഹാരം കഴിക്കും. ഹേ ഭവേശ്വരാ, നീയേ എന്റെ ശരണം।

Word by Word

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on Caturdaśī
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• निराहारः: fasting / without food
• निराहारः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (of अहम् implied)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): "having become"

• शम्भो: O Śambhu
• शम्भो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• परे: on the next
• परे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (of अहनि)

• अहनि: on the day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन (locative: "on the day")

• भोक्ष्ये: I will eat
• भोक्ष्ये: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (भुज्—भुङ्क्ते)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भुक्तिमुक्त्यर्थम्: for the sake of enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्तिमुक्त्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (भुक्ति+मुक्ति) + तत्पुरुष (अर्थम्); द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण प्रयुक्तं क्रियाविशेषणवत् (purpose adverb: "for the sake of")

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Predicate complement/उपपद-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (predicate nominative)

• मे: my / for me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (enclitic)

• भवेश्वर: O Lord of existence (Śiva)
• भवेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भवस्य ईश्वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

A devotee/vratī (the vow-observer addressing Lord Śiva within the ritual injunction context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Fasting and disciplined observance are offered with a dual aim—bhukti and mukti—sealed by śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) in the Lord.

Vedantic Theme: Surrender (prapatti/śaraṇāgati) and purification through niyama; harmonizing legitimate worldly aims with the ultimate aim of liberation.

Application: Practice moderated austerity (fasting or restraint) with clear intention; end practices with surrender—reduce egoic bargaining and cultivate reliance on the divine.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: vow/fast observance setting

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: vrata/niyama leading to purification and higher ends; ‘bhukti-mukti’ framing common in later devotional discourse

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Bhaveśvara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the importance of Caturdaśī fasting in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents Caturdaśī as a disciplined fast followed by next-day eating, undertaken as a vow aimed at both worldly well-being (bhukti) and spiritual liberation (mukti), with Śiva invoked as refuge.

How does this verse relate to the path toward liberation (moksha)?

It frames moksha-supporting practice as a combination of restraint (nirāhāra/upavāsa), regulated consumption afterward, and surrender to the divine (śaraṇaṃ), indicating that liberation is supported by both discipline and devotion.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Observe periodic fasting with clear intention, break the fast mindfully the next day, and pair the practice with prayer/surrender—using restraint to reduce attachment and cultivate steady devotion.