Śaiva Nakshatrapurusha Vrata

Śaiva Nakshatrapurusha Vrata · śaiva nakshatra-purusha vrata, “the vrata of the Nakshatra Person, of Bhagavān Śiva”

Hastā has other meanings too: see all meanings of Hastā.

The Śaiva Nakshatrapurusha Vrata is the vrata in which the limbs of Bhagavān Śiva are worshipped on twenty-seven nakshatras in order, beginning from Hasta in the śukla paksha of Phālguna. Yudhishṭhira asks for it, for the welfare of the devotees of Bhagavān Śiva, in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, Chapters 108–109, and Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa teaches it. The list of vratas in Chapter 208 names it the Śiva-Nakshatrapurusha Vrata.

Each night the pūjā is done with one of his twenty-seven names, from feet to head, and each day a brāhmaṇa receives rice and ghee. It closes with a gold image of Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī, given with a kapilā cow and all the materials. By it even mahāpātakas (the gravest pāpas) are ended.

The vidhi

  1. From the day of Hasta nakshatra in the śukla paksha of Phālguna, take the niyama of the vrata, and do pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva at night.
  2. On the day of the vrata do pūjā of the limbs of Bhagavān Śiva and keep upavāsa or a single rule of eating.
  3. On the twenty-seven nakshatras from Hasta, do the aṅga-pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva in order, from feet to head, with his twenty-seven names.
  4. At night eat food free of oil and kshāra.
  5. On each nakshatra give a brāhmaṇa a ser of śāli rice and a vessel of ghee.
  6. If two nakshatras fall on one day, do pūjā of two limbs with two names on that one day.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 108–109

The pāraṇā

  1. Having kept the vrata so, at the pāraṇā satisfy brāhmaṇas with food, dakshiṇā and the like.
  2. Make a gold image of Bhagavān Śiva and Devī Pārvatī and set it on an excellent bed.
  3. Do pūjā with all upacāras, and offer the image to a brāhmaṇa together with a kapilā cow, vessels, an umbrella, a cāmara, a mirror, sandals, cloth, ornaments, anulepana and the like.
  4. Then make pradakshiṇā, do the visarjana, and have the bed, the cow and all the materials taken to the brāhmaṇa’s house.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 108–109

Who may keep it

This vrata is not to be told to the ill-conducted, the hypocrite, the false reasoner, the slanderer, the greedy and the like. Those of peaceful nature, good qualities and bhakti to Bhagavān Śiva are its adhikārīs (those fit for it).

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 108–109

The phala

Even mahāpātakas are ended. A woman who completes the vrata with her husband’s leave never suffers separation from what is dear. Whoever reads or hears the glory of this vrata, his pitṛs (ancestors) too are lifted out of naraka.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 108–109

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 108–109, 208