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.
रक्तशाल्यन्नमध्वा च अद्भिः पूतं घृतादिभिः वीरासनो निशार्धं च गवां शुश्रूषणे रतः
He should offer red rice cooked with honey, purified with water and ghee, sitting in the heroic posture for half the night, devoted to the service of cows.
पौर्णमास्यां तु सम्पूज्य देवदेवमुमापतिम् स्नाप्य शक्त्या यथान्यायं चरुं दद्याच् च शूलिने
On the full moon, having duly worshipped the god of gods, the consort of Umā, and bathed him with power as is proper, he should offer a cooked oblation to the wielder of the trident.
ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा च यथाविभवविस्तरम् धूम्रं गोमिथुनं दत्त्वा वायुलोके महीयते
After feeding Brahmins according to his means and capacity, by giving a tawny pair of cows, he is honored in the world of Vāyu.
आषाढे मासि चाप्येवं नक्तभोजनतत्परः भूरिखण्डाज्यसंमिश्रं सक्तुभिश्चैव गोरसम्
In the month of Āṣāḍha, likewise, being intent on night-fasting, he should offer cow's milk mixed with abundant pieces of rice-cake and ghee.
पौर्णमास्यां घृताद्यैस्तु स्नाप्य पूज्य यथाविधि ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा च श्रोत्रियान् वेदपारगान्
On the full moon, having bathed and worshipped as prescribed with ghee and the like, and having fed Brahmins and learned Vedic scholars,
दद्याद्गोमिथुनं गौरं वारुणं लोकमाप्नुयात् श्रावणे च द्विजा मासे कृत्वा वै नक्तभोजनम्
He should give a fair-colored pair of cows and attains the world of Varuṇa; in the month of Śrāvaṇa, O twice-born, having observed night-fasting.
क्षीरषष्टिकभक्तेन सम्पूज्य वृषभध्वजम् पौर्णमास्यां घृताद्यैस्तु स्नाप्य पूज्य यथाविधि
Having worshipped the bull-bannered one with food of milk and rice in Śrāvaṇa, on the full moon, bathe and worship as prescribed with ghee and the like.
ब्राह्मणान् भोजयित्वा च श्रोत्रियान् वेदपारगान् श्वेताग्रपादं पौण्ड्रं च दद्याद्गोमिथुनं पुनः
After feeding Brahmins and learned Vedic scholars, he should again give a pair of white-footed Pauṇḍra cows.
स याति वायुसायुज्यं वायुवत्सर्वगो भवेत् प्राप्ते भाद्रपदे मासे कृत्वैवं नक्तभोजनम्
He attains union with Vāyu and becomes all-pervading like Vāyu; when the month of Bhādrapada arrives, having observed night-fasting in this way,
हुतशेषं च विप्रेन्द्रान् वृक्षमूलाश्रितो दिवा पौर्णमास्यां तु देवेशं स्नाप्य सम्पूज्य शङ्करम्
He should offer the remnants of the sacrifice to eminent Brahmins who dwell at the foot of trees by day; on the full moon, he should bathe and worship Śaṅkara, the lord of gods.