Shloka 12

स्नानविधिः — गायत्र्यावाहन, सूर्यवन्दन, तर्पण, पञ्चमहायज्ञ, भस्मस्नान, मन्त्रस्नान

Devanagari script

यज्ञोपवीती देवानां निवीती ऋषितर्पणम् प्राचीनावीती विप्रेन्द्र पितॄणां तर्पयेत् क्रमात्

Transliteration

yajñopavītī devānāṃ nivītī ṛṣitarpaṇam prācīnāvītī viprendra pitṝṇāṃ tarpayet kramāt

Translation

以上衣式（upavīta）佩戴圣线（yajñopavīta）者，当向诸天（Deva）行供水礼（tarpaṇa）；以垂衣式（nivīta）佩戴者，当向诸仙圣（Ṛṣi）行供水礼；以古式（prācīnāvīta）佩戴者，噢婆罗门中最胜者，当依次向祖灵（Pitṛ）行供水礼。

Word by Word

• yajñopavītī: with the sacred thread worn as upavīta (over the left shoulder)

• devānām: to the Devas

• nivītī: with the thread worn as nivīta (resting/looped in the prescribed manner)

• ṛṣi-tarpaṇam: libation (tarpana) to the Ṛṣis

• prācīna-āvītī: with the thread worn as prācīnāvīta (over the right shoulder, for ancestral rites)

• vipra-indra: O best of Brahmins

• pitṝṇām: to the Pitṛs (ancestors)

• tarpayet: should satisfy/offer libations

• kramāt: in sequence, in proper order

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating traditional ritual instructions within the Linga Purana)

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Rishis
• Pitrs

FAQs

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

It establishes ritual purity and right order (krama) for offerings—Deva, Ṛṣi, and Pitṛ—so that Shiva-puja and Linga-archana are performed on a properly consecrated foundation of dharma and gratitude to the cosmic, seer, and ancestral lineages.

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

Indirectly, it reflects Shiva as Pati—the Lord who upholds cosmic order—where correct rites align the pashu (individual soul) with ṛta/dharma, loosening pasha (bondage) through disciplined conduct that supports higher Shaiva worship.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

The practice is tarpana (ritual libation) with specific yajñopavīta positions—upavīta for Devas, nivīta for Ṛṣis, and prācīnāvīta for Pitṛs—serving as preparatory karmic discipline that complements Shaiva puja and Pashupata-oriented inner purification.