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Shivaratri Vrat Katha

Shivaratri Vrat Katha: Text, Transliteration and Meaning

Katha · 16 verses · original in Sanskrit

About Shivaratri Vrat Katha

In the Shiva Purana, Suta tells the sages the story of Gurudruha, a Bhil hunter. On the night of Shivaratri he sat hungry and thirsty in a bilva tree waiting for prey, and in each watch of the night water and bilva leaves fell from him, without his knowing, onto a Shiva linga below. Seeing a family of deer return to keep their word, his heart changed; Shiva appeared and gave him the name Guha and boons. The story says that if a vow kept unknowingly bears such fruit, one kept with devotion bears even more. The main verses of the story are given here.

Text: Shiva Purana (Koti Rudra Samhita, ch. 40) (Puranic)

Meanings and summaries are editorial, written for this library from the cited edition.

Text and meaning

Shiva Purana 4.40.3

श्रूयतामृषयस्सर्वे कथयामि पुरातनम्।। इतिहासं निषादस्य सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ।। ३ ।।

śrūyatāmṛṣayassarve kathayāmi purātanam|| itihāsaṃ niṣādasya sarvapāpapraṇāśanam || 3 ||

Suta said: Listen, all you sages. I will tell an old account of a Nishada (a hunter), which destroys all sins.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.3

Shiva Purana 4.40.4

पुरा कश्चिद्वने भिल्लो नाम्ना ह्यासीद्गुरुद्रुहः।। कुटुम्बी बलवान्क्रूरः क्रूरकर्मपरायणः ।।४।।

purā kaścidvane bhillo nāmnā hyāsīdgurudruhaḥ|| kuṭumbī balavānkrūraḥ krūrakarmaparāyaṇaḥ ||4||

Long ago in a forest there lived a Bhil named Gurudruha. He had a family, and was strong, cruel and given to cruel deeds.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.4

Shiva Purana 4.40.7

कदाचिच्छिवरात्रिश्च प्राप्तासीत्तत्र शोभना ।। न दुरात्मा स्म जानाति महद्वननिवासकृत् ।। ७ ।।

kadācicchivarātriśca prāptāsīttatra śobhanā || na durātmā sma jānāti mahadvananivāsakṛt || 7 ||

Once the auspicious Shivaratri came, but that wicked man, living deep in the forest, did not even know of it.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.7

Shiva Purana 4.40.8

एतस्मिन्समये भिल्लो मात्रा पित्रा स्त्रिया तथा।। प्रार्थितश्च क्षुधाऽविष्टैर्भक्ष्यं देहि वनेचर।।८।।

etasminsamaye bhillo mātrā pitrā striyā tathā|| prārthitaśca kṣudhā'viṣṭairbhakṣyaṃ dehi vanecara||8||

At that time his mother, father and wife, overcome by hunger, pleaded with him: "Forest-dweller, give us something to eat."

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.8

Shiva Purana 4.40.15

इति मत्वा स वै वृक्षमेकं बिल्वेतिसंज्ञकम्।। समारुह्य स्थितस्तत्र जलमादाय भिल्लकः ।।१५।।

iti matvā sa vai vṛkṣamekaṃ bilvetisaṃjñakam|| samāruhya sthitastatra jalamādāya bhillakaḥ ||15||

Thinking this, the Bhil took some water, climbed a tree called bilva, and waited there.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.15

Shiva Purana 4.40.17

तद्रात्रौ प्रथमे यामे मृगी त्वेका समागता ।। तृषार्ता चकिता सा च प्रोत्फालं कुर्वती तदा ।। १७ ।।

tadrātrau prathame yāme mṛgī tvekā samāgatā || tṛṣārtā cakitā sā ca protphālaṃ kurvatī tadā || 17 ||

In the first watch of that night a doe came, thirsty and frightened, leaping as she went.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.17

Shiva Purana 4.40.19

इत्येवं कुर्वतस्तस्य जलं बिल्वदलानि च ।। पतितानि ह्यधस्तत्र शिवलिंगमभूत्ततः ।।१९।।

ityevaṃ kurvatastasya jalaṃ bilvadalāni ca || patitāni hyadhastatra śivaliṃgamabhūttataḥ ||19||

As he did this (fitting an arrow to his bow), water and bilva leaves fell down from him, onto a Shiva linga below.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.19

Shiva Purana 4.40.20

यामस्य प्रथमस्यैव पूजा जाता शिवस्य च ।। तन्महिम्ना हि तस्यैव पातकं गलितन्तदा ।।4.40.२०।।

yāmasya prathamasyaiva pūjā jātā śivasya ca || tanmahimnā hi tasyaiva pātakaṃ galitantadā ||4.40.20||

So the worship of Shiva for the first watch took place, and by its power his sin melted away at once.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.20

Shiva Purana 4.40.29

स्थिता सत्येन धरणी सत्येनैव च वारिधिः ।। सत्येन जलधाराश्च सत्ये सर्वम्प्रतिष्ठितम् ।।२९।।

sthitā satyena dharaṇī satyenaiva ca vāridhiḥ || satyena jaladhārāśca satye sarvampratiṣṭhitam ||29||

(The doe said:) The earth stands on truth, the ocean is held by truth alone, the streams flow by truth; everything rests on truth.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.29

Shiva Purana 4.40.39

यामस्य च द्वितीयस्य तेन शंभोर्महात्मनः ।। पूजा जाता प्रसंगेन व्याधस्य सुखदायिनी ।। ३९ ।।

yāmasya ca dvitīyasya tena śaṃbhormahātmanaḥ || pūjā jātā prasaṃgena vyādhasya sukhadāyinī || 39 ||

So, by chance, the worship of the great Shambhu took place in the second watch too, bringing the hunter happiness.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.39

Shiva Purana 4.40.53

तेन तृतीययामस्य तद्रात्रौ तस्य भाग्यतः ।। पूजा जाता शिवस्यैव कृपालुत्वं प्रदर्शितम् ।।५३।।

tena tṛtīyayāmasya tadrātrau tasya bhāgyataḥ || pūjā jātā śivasyaiva kṛpālutvaṃ pradarśitam ||53||

So, by his good fortune, the worship of Shiva for the third watch also took place that night; Shiva showed his compassion.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.53

Shiva Purana 4.40.78

तेन जाता चतुर्थस्य पूजा यामस्य वै शुभा ।। तस्य पापन्तदा सर्वं भस्मसादभवत् क्षणात् ।। ७८ ।।

tena jātā caturthasya pūjā yāmasya vai śubhā || tasya pāpantadā sarvaṃ bhasmasādabhavat kṣaṇāt || 78 ||

With that the auspicious worship of the fourth watch took place, and in that instant all his sin was burnt to ashes.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.78

Shiva Purana 4.40.85

इति ज्ञानं समापन्नो बाणं संवारयंस्तदा ।। गम्यतां च मृगश्रेष्ठा धन्याः स्थ इति चाब्रवीत् ।। ८५ ।।

iti jñānaṃ samāpanno bāṇaṃ saṃvārayaṃstadā || gamyatāṃ ca mṛgaśreṣṭhā dhanyāḥ stha iti cābravīt || 85 ||

Having gained this understanding, he held back his arrow and said: "Go, noble deer; you are blessed."

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.85

Shiva Purana 4.40.87

संस्पृश्य कृपया शंभुस्तं व्याधं प्रीतितोऽब्रवीत् ।। वरं ब्रूहि प्रसन्नोऽस्मि व्रतेनानेन भिल्लक ।। ८७ ।।

saṃspṛśya kṛpayā śaṃbhustaṃ vyādhaṃ prītito'bravīt || varaṃ brūhi prasanno'smi vratenānena bhillaka || 87 ||

Shambhu touched the hunter with compassion and said lovingly: "Bhil, I am pleased with this vow; ask for a boon."

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.87

Shiva Purana 4.40.89

शिवोऽपि सुप्रन्नात्मा नाम दत्वा गुहेति च ।। विलोक्य तं कृपादृष्ट्या तस्मै दिव्यान्वरानदात् ।।।८९।।

śivo'pi suprannātmā nāma datvā guheti ca || vilokya taṃ kṛpādṛṣṭyā tasmai divyānvarānadāt |||89||

Shiva, greatly pleased, gave him the name Guha, looked on him with compassion and granted him divine boons.

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.89

Shiva Purana 4.40.97

अज्ञानात्स व्रतञ्चैतत्कृत्वा सायुज्यमाप्तवान् ।। किं पुनर्भक्तिसंपन्ना यान्ति तन्मयतां शुभाम्।।९७।।

ajñānātsa vratañcaitatkṛtvā sāyujyamāptavān || kiṃ punarbhaktisaṃpannā yānti tanmayatāṃ śubhām||97||

Even keeping this vow unknowingly, he attained union with Shiva; how much more will those full of devotion reach that blessed oneness?

Source: Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503, Koti Rudra Samhita 40.97

Sources and licence

Shiva Purana 4 (Koti Rudra Samhita) ch. 40, Sanskrit Wikisource, revision 104503. CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription); underlying text public domain

The selected verses are copied character for character from the source page, including its number forms (such as "4.40.20"). In verse 89 the source's "सुप्रन्नात्मा" is probably "सुप्रसन्नात्मा". The deer's oaths (40.32–34, 40.44–47, 40.64–66) list sins, some tied to caste; they are not given here. IAST is generated by a fixed rule.