Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 28
दक्षयज्ञदर्शनम् — The Vision of Dakṣa’s Great Sacrifice
and the Onset of Vīrabhadra’s Terror
उच्चावचानि मांसानि भक्ष्याणि सुरभीणि च । रसवन्ति च पानानि लेह्यचोष्याणि तानि वै
uccāvacāni māṃsāni bhakṣyāṇi surabhīṇi ca | rasavanti ca pānāni lehyacoṣyāṇi tāni vai
«وكانت هناك لحومٌ شتّى، وأطعمةٌ عطرةٌ تُؤكل، وأشربةٌ ذات نكهة؛ وكذلك حقًّا أشياءُ تُلعَق وأشياءُ تُمصّ.»
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a Jyotirliṅga; continues the catalog of sense-objects (bhogya) that can bind the soul under māyā.
Significance: Serves as a didactic contrast: liberation is not achieved by indulgence in refined enjoyments but by turning the senses toward Śiva through discipline and devotion.
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It portrays abundant sense-objects—food and drink—as part of a narrative scene, implicitly highlighting that worldly enjoyments are many and enticing, yet in Shaiva thought they remain secondary to devotion and inner orientation toward Pati (Lord Shiva).
Such descriptions commonly frame hospitality, feasting, or ceremonial contexts around sacred occasions; in Saguna Shiva worship, offerings are made with purity and devotion, but the ultimate aim is not indulgence—rather, honoring Shiva with bhakti and restraint.
The takeaway is disciplined offering and consumption: present food with sanctity (naivedya-bhāva), maintain purity, and pair outer ritual with inner remembrance—such as japa of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya.”