Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 6
पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow
ध्यात्वा देवं च देवीं च तद्विज्ञापनवर्त्मना । व्रतमेतत्करोमीति भवेत्संकल्प्य दीक्षितः
dhyātvā devaṃ ca devīṃ ca tadvijñāpanavartmanā | vratametatkaromīti bhavetsaṃkalpya dīkṣitaḥ
Nachdem er über den Herrn (Śiva) und die Göttin (Devī) meditiert hat und nach der rituellen Weise des formellen Anrufens vorgeht, soll der Eingeweihte den Entschluss (saṅkalpa) fassen: „Dieses Gelübde will ich auf mich nehmen.“
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Significance: Saṅkalpa after dhyāna aligns the paśu’s icchā with Śiva-Śakti; vrata becomes a vehicle for loosening pāśa (bondage) and inviting anugraha.
Mantra: vratam etat karomīti
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that a Shaiva vow is not merely external ritual: it begins with dhyāna (inner recollection of Śiva-Śakti) and saṅkalpa (a conscious resolve), aligning the individual soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati) through disciplined observance.
Meditation and formal invocation prepare the devotee to approach Saguna Shiva—often through Liṅga worship—with clarity and reverence; the vow becomes an offering of intention, not just an act, grounding outer pūjā in inner awareness.
First perform dhyāna on Śiva and Devī, then make a clear saṅkalpa (“I undertake this vrata”) as an initiated devotee; this is the foundational step before associated practices like mantra-japa (e.g., Pañcākṣarī) and vrata disciplines.