Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 6

नैमित्तिकविधिक्रमः

Occasional Rites and Their Procedure

Devanagari script

पौषे पुष्यनक्षत्रे कुर्यान्नीराजनं विभोः । माघे मघाख्ये नक्षत्रे प्रदद्याद्घृतकंबलम्

Transliteration

pauṣe puṣyanakṣatre kuryānnīrājanaṃ vibhoḥ | māghe maghākhye nakṣatre pradadyādghṛtakaṃbalam

Translation

Pada bulan Pauṣa, ketika nakṣatra Puṣya berkuasa, hendaklah dilakukan nīrājana (ārati) yang suci bagi Tuhan Śiva Yang Meliputi Segala. Pada bulan Māgha, ketika bintang Maghā muncul, hendaklah dipersembahkan kain bulu yang diserap ghee sebagai anugerah bakti.

Word by Word

• pauṣe: in (the month of) Pauṣa
• pauṣe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pauṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; time-locative (काले सप्तमी)

• puṣya-nakṣatre: in the Puṣya constellation
• puṣya-nakṣatre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣya + nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (puṣyasya nakṣatram)

• kuryāt: should perform
• kuryāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• nīrājanam: (ritual) ārati / waving of lights
• nīrājanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīrājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• vibhoḥ: of the Lord
• vibhoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• māghe: in (the month of) Māgha
• māghe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; time-locative (काले सप्तमी)

• maghā-ākhye: named ‘Maghā’
• maghā-ākhye: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: maghā + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adjective qualifying nakṣatre; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (maghāyāḥ ākhyaḥ)

• nakṣatre: in the constellation
• nakṣatre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nakṣatra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• pradadyāt: should give/offer
• pradadyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + dā (धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• ghṛta-kaṃbalam: a ghee-soaked blanket / ghee-blanket offering
• ghṛta-kaṃbalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛta + kaṃbala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ghṛtasya kaṃbalaḥ)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s observances to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: A calendrical injunction: in Pauṣa under Puṣya, perform nīrājana (ārati) to Vibhu (Śiva); in Māgha under Maghā, offer ghṛta-kambala as dāna/upacāra. It reflects temple-calendar (utsava) culture rather than a single shrine legend.

Significance: Aligning worship with nakṣatra strengthens niyama and continuity (sthiti) in devotion; dāna (gift) and nīrājana are said to increase auspiciousness and remove inauspicious influences.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that devotion to Pati (Lord Śiva) is strengthened by timely worship and selfless giving—outer rites like ārati and dāna become vehicles for inner purity, humility, and grace.

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

Nīrājana is a classic upacāra offered to Saguna Śiva—commonly before the Śiva-liṅga—affirming loving, form-based worship as a valid path that matures the seeker toward deeper realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Śiva nīrājana (ārati) during Puṣya in Pauṣa, and practice dāna by offering a ghṛta-kambala during Maghā in Māgha, ideally alongside mantra-japa such as the Pañcākṣarī: “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”