Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 39
Maṇḍala–Pūjā–Homa Krama
Maṇḍala Worship and Homa Sequence for the Disciple
कुर्यात्तस्य शिखाच्छेदं सह सूत्रेण देशिकः । ततस्तां गोमये न्यस्य शिवाग्नौ जुहुयाच्छिखाम्
kuryāttasya śikhācchedaṃ saha sūtreṇa deśikaḥ | tatastāṃ gomaye nyasya śivāgnau juhuyācchikhām
Der Dīkṣā-Guru soll seinen Scheitelzopf (śikhā) zusammen mit der heiligen Schnur abschneiden. Dann lege er diese śikhā auf Kuhdung (als reinen Brennstoff) und bringe den Zopf im Śiva-Feuer als Opfergabe dar—als Sinnbild dafür, die frühere Identität dem Herrn zu übergeben und den Schüler auf Śivas Pfad zu gründen.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya teaching to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Cosmic Event: Symbolic saṃhāra: consigning former markers of identity (śikhā, sūtra) into Śiva’s fire.
FAQs
It depicts a dīkṣā (initiation) act where the guru ritually ends the disciple’s former social-ritual identity (topknot and thread) and offers it into Śiva’s fire, expressing surrender to Pati (Śiva) and the beginning of liberation from pāśa (bondage).
The “Śiva-fire” represents Saguna Śiva’s consecrated presence in ritual; offering the śikhā into it is an external act mirroring inner worship—dedicating the self to Śiva as the accessible Lord, akin to offering oblations before the Liṅga with mantra and devotion.
A formal Shaiva initiation context is implied: the guru performs a purificatory rite and fire-offering (homa) in Śiva’s name; the practical takeaway is disciplined renunciation and mantra-centered devotion (e.g., sustained japa and worship) under a qualified preceptor.