Shloka 36
पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः
Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya
चतुर्दशी तथा ग्राह्या निशीथव्यापिनी भवेत् । प्रदोषव्यापिनी चैव परयुक्ता प्रशस्यते
caturdaśī tathā grāhyā niśīthavyāpinī bhavet | pradoṣavyāpinī caiva parayuktā praśasyate
നിശീഥം (അർദ്ധരാത്രി) വരെ വ്യാപിക്കുന്ന ചതുര്ദശിയെയാണ് ആചരിക്കേണ്ടത്. കൂടാതെ പ്രദോഷകാലത്തിലും വ്യാപിച്ച്, പരയുക്ത (കൂടുതൽ ഫലപ്രദ) അവസ്ഥയോടുകൂടിയ ചതുര്ദശി പ്രത്യേകമായി പ്രശംസിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s vrata-timing rules to the sages of Naimisharanya within the Vidyeśvara Saṃhitā context)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: The verse gives vrata-kāla-nirṇaya for Caturdaśī (key for Mahāśivarātri observance): preference for tithi that spans niśītha and/or pradoṣa, maximizing the vrata’s efficacy.
Significance: Selecting niśītha/pradoṣa-vyāpinī Caturdaśī is taught as yielding superior fruit—heightened śiva-anugraha and vrata-siddhi.
Role: liberating
Offering: dipa
Cosmic Event: Niśītha and pradoṣa as liminal windows; tithi-vyāpti principle for vrata selection.
FAQs
It teaches that devotion must be aligned with sacred time: observing Caturdaśī when it reaches niśītha and pradoṣa is praised because these junctions are considered especially potent for Śiva-upāsanā and inward turning toward Pati (Śiva).
Śivarātri and pradoṣa are classic windows for Liṅga-pūjā; the verse guides when the tithi should qualify so the devotee’s offerings (abhisheka, dīpa, mantra-japa) are performed at the most efficacious time for Saguna Śiva worship leading toward realization of His supreme nature.
Perform Śiva-pūjā and japa during pradoṣa and especially at niśītha on qualifying Caturdaśī—commonly with “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” along with practices like abhiṣeka and (where traditional) vibhūti (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness.