History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.933

v6.c81.933

Later medieval digests such as the Tithitattva (pp. 126 ff), the Kālatattvavivecana (pp 197-203), Puruṣārthacintāmaṇi (pp. 255-258), Dharmasindhu (p 127) provide an elaborate description of the procedure of Śivarātri vrata. The K T V. remarks⁵⁹⁷ that the procedure of Śivarātri-vrata is different in the several purāṇas. For comparison with the one in the Garuḍa quoted above a summary of it from the Dharmasindhu is given here. On the 13th tithi the performer should take only one meal in the noon, on the 14th after finishing his usual morning duties and rites, he should make a saṅkalpa in the morning with a mantra 'I shall perform this Śivarātrivrata that yields great rewards; O Lord of the world! may it be without obstacles through your favour. On the 14th I shall be without food and shall take my meal on the next day for enjoyment of pleasures and *mokṣa*, O Lord! be you my refuge.' If the performer be a brāhmaṇa, he should recite the two *ṛk* verses⁵⁹⁸ 'rātrīṁ prapadye' and cast water In the evening (of 14th) he should take a bath with black sesame, should apply the *tripuṇḍra* mark⁵⁹⁹ with ashes to his forehead and also hold a rosary of *rudrākṣa* (berry of Elaeocarpus Ganitrus), should go to a temple of Śiva at the beginning of night, should wash his feet, should take *ācamana* (should sip water) and should make a saṅkalpa 'I shall perform the pūjā of the first watch on Śivarātri'; if he intends to perform separate pūjās on all the four watches or if he wants to perform a pūjā only once he should say 'I shall perform the worship of Śiva on Śivarātri for securing the favour of Śiva' Then he should repeat the sage (Vāmadeva)