Linga Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

सूर्यरथनिर्णयः (चन्द्रस्य पक्षवृद्धिक्षयविधानम्)

Devanagari script

वृद्धिक्षयौ वै पक्षादौ षोडश्यां शशिनः स्मृतौ एवं सूर्यनिमित्तैषा पक्षवृद्धिर्निशाकरे

Transliteration

vṛddhikṣayau vai pakṣādau ṣoḍaśyāṃ śaśinaḥ smṛtau evaṃ sūryanimittaiṣā pakṣavṛddhirniśākare

Translation

月之增与减，被说是在半月之初与第十六日（tithi）发生。由是以太阳为决定之因，这半月的增长便在“造夜者”——月亮之中得以成立。

Word by Word

• vṛddhi-kṣayau: increase and decrease (waxing and waning)

• vai: indeed

• pakṣa-ādau: at the beginning of the fortnight

• ṣoḍaśyām: on the sixteenth (tithi/phase)

• śaśinaḥ: of the Moon

• smṛtau: are remembered/declared in tradition

• evam: thus

• sūrya-nimittā: having the Sun as the causal factor/occasioning principle

• eṣā: this

• pakṣa-vṛddhiḥ: the fortnight’s increase (waxing progression)

• niśākare: in the night-maker, i.e., the Moon

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Surya
• Chandra

FAQs

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

It grounds Shiva-puja timing in kala (sacred time): understanding waxing/waning tithis helps choose auspicious vrata and abhisheka days, aligning worship with the cosmic order governed through Sun–Moon measures.

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

By implying that cosmic regulation (kala-niyati) operates through luminaries, it points to Pati (Shiva) as the transcendent Lord of time, while Sun and Moon function as instruments within His ordered manifestation.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Muhurta- and tithi-based observance—planning vrata, japa, and Linga-abhisheka in harmony with paksha progression; for Pashupata-oriented sadhana, this supports disciplined practice through regulated time.