व्रतानि वः प्रवक्ष्यामि शुभानि मुनिसत्तमाः नन्दिना कथितानीह ब्रह्मपुत्राय धीमते
I shall declare to you the auspicious vows, O best of sages, as told here by Nandin to the wise son of Brahma.
तानि व्यासादुपश्रुत्य युष्माकं प्रवदाम्यहम् अष्टम्यां च चतुर्दश्यां पक्षयोरुभयोरपि
Having heard them from Vyasa, I shall relate them to you; on the eighth and fourteenth days of both lunar fortnights—
वर्षमेकं तु भुञ्जानो नक्तं यः पूजयेच्छिवम् सर्वयज्ञफलं प्राप्य स याति परमां गतिम्
Whoever, eating only at night for one year, worships Shiva on those days, attains the fruit of all sacrifices and reaches the supreme state.
पृथिवीं भाजनं कृत्वा भुक्त्वा पर्वसु मानवः अहोरात्रेण चैकेन त्रिरात्रफलमश्नुते
By making the earth a vessel and eating on festival days, a person attains in one day and night the fruit of a three-night vow.
द्वयोर् मासस्य पञ्चम्योर् द्वयोः प्रतिपदोर्नरः क्षीरधाराव्रतं कुर्यात् सो ऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
On the fifth day of both lunar months and on the first day of both fortnights, a man should perform the milk-stream vow and obtains the fruit of an Ashvamedha sacrifice.
कृष्णाष्टम्यां तु नक्तेन यावत्कृष्णचतुर्दशी भुञ्जन्भोगानवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोकं च गच्छति
On the dark eighth, by eating only at night until the dark fourteenth, one attains enjoyments and goes to the world of Brahma.
यो ऽब्दमेकं प्रकुर्वीत नक्तं पर्वसु पर्वसु ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोधः शिवध्यानपरायणः
Whoever performs for a year, eating only at night on each festival, remaining celibate, self-controlled, and devoted to meditation on Shiva—
संवत्सरान्ते विप्रेन्द्रान् भोजयेद्विधिपूर्वकम् स याति शाङ्करं लोकं नात्र कार्या विचारणा
At the end of the year, feeding foremost Brahmins according to rule, he attains the world of Shankara; there is no doubt about this.
उपवासात् परं भैक्ष्यं भैक्ष्यात् परम् अयाचितम् अयाचितात् परं नक्तं तस्मान् नक्तेन वर्तयेत्
Fasting is superior to alms-food; alms-food is superior to food not begged; food not begged is surpassed by eating only at night; therefore, one should live by eating at night.
देवैर्भुक्तं तु पूर्वाह्णे मध्याह्ने ऋषिभिस् तथा अपराह्णे च पितृभिः संध्यायां गुह्यकादिभिः
Food is consumed by the gods in the forenoon, by the seers at midday, by the ancestors in the afternoon, and by beings like the Guhyakas at twilight.
सर्ववेलामतिक्रम्य नक्तभोजनमुत्तमम् हविष्यभोजनं स्नानं सत्यमाहारलाघवम्
Surpassing all times, eating at night is best; eating sacrificial food, bathing, truthfulness, and moderation in food are to be observed.
अग्निकार्यमधःशय्यां नक्तभोजी समाचरेत् प्रतिमासं प्रवक्ष्यामि शिवव्रतमनुत्तमम्
One who eats at night should perform fire rituals and sleep on the ground; I will now describe, month by month, the supreme vow of Shiva.
धर्मकामार्थमोक्षार्थं सर्वपापविशुद्धये पुष्यमासे च सम्पूज्य यः कुर्यान्नक्तभोजनम्
For the sake of righteousness, desire, wealth, and liberation, and for the purification from all sins, whoever worships in the month of Puṣya and observes night-eating—
सत्यवादी जितक्रोधः शालिगोधूमगोरसैः पक्षयोरष्टमीं यत्नाद् उपवासेन वर्तयेत्
Speaking truth, controlling anger, subsisting on rice, wheat, and cow's milk, one should carefully observe fasting on the eighth day of both lunar fortnights.
भूमिशय्यां च मासान्ते पौर्णमास्यां घृतादिभिः स्नाप्य रुद्रं महादेवं सम्पूज्य विधिपूर्वकम्
At the end of the month, on the full moon, having bathed Rudra, the great god, with ghee and the like, and worshipped him according to the rite, one should sleep on the ground.
यावकं चौदनं दत्त्वा सक्षीरं सघृतं द्विजाः भोजयेद् ब्राह्मणाञ्शिष्टाञ् जपेच्छान्तिं विशेषतः
Giving barley and cooked rice with milk and ghee, one should feed worthy Brahmins and especially recite the Śānti hymn.
तथा गोमिथुनं चैव कपिलं विनिवेदयेत् भवाय देवदेवाय शिवाय परमेष्ठिने
Likewise, one should offer a tawny cow and calf to Shiva, the god of gods, the supreme lord, for the sake of well-being.
स याति मुनिशार्दूल वाह्नेयं लोकमुत्तमम् भुक्त्वा स विपुलान् लोकान् तत्रैव स विमुच्यते
O best of sages, he attains the excellent world of Vāhneyas; having enjoyed vast worlds there, he is liberated there itself.
माघमासे तु सम्पूज्य यः कुर्यान् नक्तभोजनम् कृशरं घृतसंयुक्तं भुञ्जानः संयतेन्द्रियः
In the month of Māgha, whoever worships and observes night-eating, eating rice porridge mixed with ghee, with controlled senses—
सोपवासं चतुर्दश्यां भवेदुभयपक्षयोः रुद्राय पौर्णमास्यां तु दद्याद्वै घृतकम्बलम्
Fasting on the fourteenth day in both lunar fortnights, one should, on the full moon, give a ghee-soaked blanket to Rudra.
कृष्णं गोमिथुनं दद्यात् पूजयेच्चैव शंकरम् भोजयेद्ब्राह्मणांश्चैव यथाविभवविस्तरम्
One should give a black cow and calf, worship Śaṅkara, and feed Brahmins according to one's means and capacity.
याम्यमासाद्य वै लोकं यमेन सह मोदते फाल्गुने चैव सम्प्राप्ते कुर्याद्वै नक्तभोजनम्
Having attained the southern realm, he enjoys with Yama; and when the month of Phālguna arrives, he should indeed observe night-eating.
श्यामाकान्नघृतक्षीरैर् जितक्रोधो जितेन्द्रियः चतुर्दश्यामथाष्टम्याम् उपवासं च कारयेत्
With self-control and subdued anger, eating wild millet with ghee and milk, one should observe fasting on the fourteenth and eighth days.
पौर्णमास्यां महादेवं स्नाप्य सम्पूज्य शङ्करम् दद्याद्गोमिथुनं वापि ताम्राभं शूलपाणये
On the full moon, after bathing and worshipping Mahādeva Śaṅkara, one should give a tawny or copper-colored cow and calf to the wielder of the trident.
ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा तु प्रार्थयेत्परमेश्वरम् स याति चन्द्रसायुज्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा
After feeding the Brahmins, one should pray to the supreme lord; he attains union with the moon—there is no doubt about this.
चैत्रे ऽपि रुद्रमभ्यर्च्य कुर्याद्वै नक्तभोजनम् शाल्यन्नं पयसा युक्तं घृतेन च यथासुखम्
In the month of Chaitra too, having worshipped Rudra, one should observe night-eating, eating rice mixed with milk and ghee, as is pleasing.
गोष्ठशायी मुनिश्रेष्ठाः क्षितौ निशि भवं स्मरेत् पौर्णमास्यां शिवं स्नाप्य दद्याद्गोमिथुनं सितम्
O best of sages, one who sleeps in a cowshed should remember Bhava at night upon the full moon, bathe Shiva, and offer a white pair of cows.
ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेच्चैव निरृतेः स्थानमाप्नुयात् वैशाखे च तथा मासे कृत्वा वै नक्तभोजनम्
He should also feed Brahmins and will attain the realm of Nirṛti; likewise, in the month of Vaiśākha, having observed night-fasting.
पौर्णमास्यां भवं स्नाप्य पञ्चगव्यघृतादिभिः श्वेतं गोमिथुनं दत्त्वा सो ऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
On the full moon, after bathing Bhava with five products of the cow, ghee, and the like, by giving a white pair of cows, he obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
ज्येष्ठे मासे च देवेशं भवं शर्वमुमापतिम् सम्पूज्य श्रद्धया भक्त्या कृत्वा वै नक्तभोजनम्
In the month of Jyeṣṭha, having worshipped Bhava, Lord of gods, Śarva, the consort of Umā, with faith and devotion, he should observe night-fasting.