Shloka 49

Pāśupata-vrata Māhātmya: Dvādaśa-Liṅga Mahāvrata, Month-wise Dravya, and Pūjā-krama

Devanagari script

य एवं सर्वमासेषु शिवलिङ्गमहाव्रतम् कुर्याद्भक्त्या मुनिश्रेष्ठाः स एव तपतां वरः

Transliteration

ya evaṃ sarvamāseṣu śivaliṅgamahāvratam kuryādbhaktyā muniśreṣṭhāḥ sa eva tapatāṃ varaḥ

Translation

噫，诸牟尼中之最胜者！凡以虔敬于每月行持此湿婆灵伽大誓者，唯彼一人，堪称苦行者中之最上。

Word by Word

• यः (yaḥ): whoever

• एवम् (evam): thus/in this manner

• सर्वमासेषु (sarvamāseṣu): in all months/throughout every month

• शिवलिङ्गमहाव्रतम् (śivaliṅga-mahāvratam): the great vow/observance centered on the Shiva-Linga

• कुर्यात् (kuryāt): should perform

• भक्त्या (bhaktyā): with devotion

• मुनिश्रेष्ठाः (muniśreṣṭhāḥ): O best of sages

• सः (saḥ): he

• एव (eva): indeed/alone

• तपताम् (tapatām): among those who practice austerities/ascetics

• वरः (varaḥ): the best/excellent

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shiva-Linga

FAQs

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

It declares that steady, month-by-month observance of the Śiva-Liṅga Mahāvrata—done with bhakti—surpasses mere hardship and makes one foremost among practitioners of tapas, emphasizing disciplined continuity in Liṅga-pūjā.

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

By placing the Śiva-Liṅga Mahāvrata at the summit of ascetic merit, the verse implies Śiva as Pati—the supreme Lord whose grace is accessed not only by austerity but by devotion anchored in His Liṅga, the aniconic sign of transcendent consciousness.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A recurring monthly vrata focused on Śiva-Liṅga worship—integrating niyama (vow-discipline), pūjā, and bhakti—aligned with Shaiva practice where tapas becomes fruitful when offered to Pati rather than pursued as self-powered exertion alone.