Śiva Caturdaśī Vrata

Śiva Caturdaśī Vrata, “the fourteenth-day vow of Śiva”

The Śiva Caturdaśī Vrata is a year-long vrata kept on both the Śukla and the Kṛshṇa Caturdaśī (the fourteenth lunar day of each fortnight) of every month, beginning in Mārgaśīrsha. It is offered to Bhagavān Śiva, and the Matsya Purāṇa gives it in Chapter 94. It ends in Kārtika with the gift of a gold image of Umā and Maheśvara.

The Agni Purāṇa (Chapter 192) gives the Śiva Caturdaśī first among Agni Deva’s caturdaśī vratas, which give bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti (moksha). There it begins on the caturdaśī of Kārttika with a complete fast and the pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva, and is then kept on every Śiva-caturdaśī of each month for a year. The one who keeps it becomes rich in enjoyments, wealth and long life.

Bhagavān Śiva did not teach this vrata himself. He named Nandikeśvara (Nandi) to teach it, and then vanished.

The teaching

Nārada asked Parameśvara for a Māheśvara vrata, one that gives both bhukti (enjoyment) and mukti (freedom). Bhagavān Śiva spoke words of praise: that the one he praised was equal to Śiva himself in vāṅmaya-jñāna (knowledge of all sacred speech) and in tapas, was dharma himself in the body of Vṛshabha, and was the foremost among the Pramathas. Then he said: “This Nandi shall teach you all the Māheśvara dharmas.” At once he disappeared.

Nandikeśvara then taught Nārada the Śiva Caturdaśī Vrata. (Matsya Purāṇa, Chapter 94)

When it is kept

The vrata is kept on the Śukla Caturdaśī and the Kṛshṇa Caturdaśī of every month for a year. It begins on Mārgaśīrsha Śukla Trayodaśī, the day before the first Caturdaśī.

The vidhi

The beginning in Mārgaśīrsha

On Mārgaśīrsha Śukla Trayodaśī, take the vow: “I have taken refuge in Śiva. Tomorrow, on Caturdaśī, I shall fast, worship Maheśvara, give a gold vṛshabha (bull), and then eat.” On Trayodaśī itself, eat only once.

On the morning of Caturdaśī, bathe and do japa. Then worship Bhagavān Śiva with white lotuses, gandha (scent), mālya (garlands) and anulepana (sandal paste).

The twenty aṅga-pūjā nāmas

The limbs of Bhagavān Śiva are worshipped one by one, each with its own nāma:

Devī Pārvatī is then worshipped with Pushṭyai namaḥ, Tushṭyai namaḥ and similar nāmas.

The dāna

A gold vṛshabha (bull image) is given to the guru or ācārya, together with a gold kumbha (water vessel), white garlands and cloth, and various bhakshyas (foods). The mantra for the gift is: “May Sadyojāta, the deva-deva, the bearer of the Pināka bow, be pleased by this vrata.”

The yajamāna (the one keeping the vrata) eats vṛshadājya (a mixture of thickened milk and ghee) and sleeps on the ground facing north. The next morning, Pūrṇimā, he feeds brāhmaṇas, eats himself, and spends the day in silence.

On the Kṛshṇa Caturdaśī of the same month, the whole procedure is done again.

The monthly schedule

The vrata goes on in this way every month, on both the Śukla and the Kṛshṇa Caturdaśī. Each month has its own nāma of Bhagavān Śiva, its own food and its own flower:

With each monthly nāma, the words tvām ahaṃ śaraṇaṃ gataḥ (“I have taken refuge in you”) are added. (Matsya Purāṇa, Chapter 94)

The udyāpana in Kārtika

At the end of the year, in the month of Kārtika, qualified brāhmaṇas are invited and honoured with food, clothes and ornaments. These dānas are given to a brāhmaṇa who is free of blemish and knows the jyeshṭhasāma, together with his wife, or to the ācārya:

• A gold image (pratimā) of Umā and Maheśvara
• A gold go-pratimā (cow image) and a vṛshabha-pratimā (bull image), each decorated with eight pearls
• Fine white silk cloth
• A beautiful bed with all its parts (pillow, mattress and back-support)
• A copper plate with white rice

A nīla-vṛshotsarjana (the release of a blue-black bull) is then done according to the Vedic rules. (Matsya Purāṇa, Chapter 94)

The phala

Those who keep this Śiva Caturdaśī Vrata receive:

• The phala of performing 1,000 Aśvamedha yajñas
• The destruction of even brahmahatyādi pāpas (sins such as the killing of a brāhmaṇa) done by oneself, one’s father or one’s brothers
• In this life: long life, ārogya (health) and kula-abhivṛddhi (the growth of the family)
• In the next life: Vishṇu-sārūpya (the form of Bhagavān Vishṇu)
• In the celestial worlds: the chief of the Pramatha-gaṇas for 100 crore kalpas
• At the end: Śiva-sthāna, the abode of Bhagavān Śiva himself

Nandikeśvara said that even Bṛhaspati, Brahmā, the siddhas or Nandi himself cannot fully tell the phala of this vrata, even with ten thousand crore tongues, because it is without limit.

Women who keep this vrata with the leave of their husband, sons or family elders also gain the grace of Parameśvara and reach his parama-pada (highest state). (Matsya Purāṇa, Chapter 94)

Per Agni Purāṇa

Agni Deva said: “I shall tell the Caturdaśī vrata, which gives bhukti and mukti.”

• On the caturdaśī of Kārttika the observer fasts completely, taking no food, and worships Bhagavān Śiva.
• From then on, on every Śiva-caturdaśī of each month, he keeps the vrata and does the pūjā of Bhagavān Śiva for one year.
• The phala: he becomes rich in enjoyments, wealth and long life.

In the same chapter Agni Deva gives other caturdaśī vratas of Bhagavān Śiva and the devas:

• Phala Caturdaśī: in the śukla paksha of Mārgaśīrsha, on the ashṭamī, tṛtīyā, dvādaśī or caturdaśī, the observer keeps silence, eats only fruits and worships the devatā. He gives up certain fruits and gives them away as dāna. Keeping the vrata so, he fasts on the caturdaśī and ashṭamī of both pakshas and worships Bhagavān Śiva. One who keeps the caturdaśī vrata in both pakshas gains svarga.
• One who eats only at night on the ashṭamī and caturdaśī of the kṛshṇa paksha gains the enjoyments he desires in this world and the best state in the next.
• On the kṛshṇa caturdaśī of Kārttika, one who bathes and worships Indra on a bamboo pole made in the shape of a dhvaja (banner) becomes happy.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 192

Sources

• Matsya Purāṇa, Chapter 94
• Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 192