Shloka 40

व्यपोहनस्तवनिरूपण-प्रसङ्गे नक्तभोजन-शिवव्रतविधिः (वार्षिक-प्रतिमास-क्रमः)

Devanagari script

स याति वायुसायुज्यं वायुवत्सर्वगो भवेत् प्राप्ते भाद्रपदे मासे कृत्वैवं नक्तभोजनम्

Transliteration

sa yāti vāyusāyujyaṃ vāyuvatsarvago bhavet prāpte bhādrapade māse kṛtvaivaṃ naktabhojanam

Translation

भाद्रपद मासात अशा प्रकारे नक्तभोजन-व्रत केल्यास साधक वायुसायुज्य प्राप्त करतो आणि वायूप्रमाणे सर्वत्रगामी होतो.

Word by Word

• स (sa): he, the practitioner

• याति (yāti): attains, goes to

• वायु-सायुज्यम् (vāyu-sāyujyam): union/identity with Vāyu, the Wind-principle

• वायु-वत् (vāyu-vat): like the wind

• सर्व-गः (sarva-gaḥ): going everywhere, all-pervading

• भवेत् (bhavet): becomes

• प्राप्ते (prāpte): when it has arrived/when it comes

• भाद्रपदे मासे (bhādrapade māse): in the month of Bhādrapada

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā): having done/after performing

• एवम् (evam): thus, in this manner

• नक्त-भोजनम् (nakta-bhojanam): eating at night only (a vrata of restricted diet).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Vayu

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It presents a concrete Shaiva vrata (naktabhojana in Bhādrapada) as a discipline that supports Linga-bhakti, teaching that regulated living offered to Mahadeva yields transformative spiritual fruit.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Though Vāyu is named, the implied Shaiva doctrine is that such fruits arise by Pati’s grace: Shiva, as Lord of yoga and the remover of pāśa, grants expansion beyond limitation—symbolized by becoming “like the wind.”

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Naktabhojana-vrata—taking food only at night during Bhādrapada—an austerity aligned with Pāśupata-style restraint (niyama) to purify the pashu (soul) and weaken bondage.