Adhyaya 72 — Puradāha: Rudra’s Cosmic Chariot, Pāśupata-Vrata, and Brahmā’s Shiva-Stuti
ज्येष्ठाय रुद्ररूपाय सोमाय वरदाय च त्रिलोकाय त्रिदेवाय वषट्काराय वै नमः
jyeṣṭhāya rudrarūpāya somāya varadāya ca trilokāya tridevāya vaṣaṭkārāya vai namaḥ
Wahrlich Verehrung dem Ältesten (dem uranfänglichen Herrn), Ihm, dessen Gestalt Rudra ist; Soma—mondgleich, Nektar der Gnade—dem Spender der Gaben; dem Herrn der drei Welten, dem Gott, der die Dreiheit der Götter ist; und Ihm, der selbst das Vaṣaṭ ist, der Opferausruf, durch den die Gabe das Göttliche erreicht.
Suta Goswami (narrating a stotra/nama sequence to the sages of Naimisharanya)
It functions as a nama-salutation used in Linga-puja: the worshipper recognizes Shiva as the primordial Pati, sovereign of the three worlds, and the inner recipient of all Vedic offerings (Vaṣaṭkāra), aligning ritual acts with devotion to the Linga.
Shiva is praised as Jyeṣṭha (beginningless source), Rudra-svarūpa (the transformative, dissolving power), Soma (cool, nectar-like grace), and Trideva (the one Reality appearing as the functions of creation, preservation, and dissolution).
The verse highlights Vedic-yajña integration into Shaiva worship through “Vaṣaṭkāra,” implying that offerings, mantra, and inner surrender are directed to Shiva; as a yogic takeaway, the practitioner internalizes the sacrifice—offering the senses and ego (pāśa) into the awareness of Pati.