Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 2

आवरणपूजाविधानम् / The Procedure of Āvaraṇa (Enclosure) Worship

Devanagari script

हविर्निवेदनात्पूर्वं दीपदानादनन्तरम् । कुर्यादावरणाभ्यर्चां प्राप्ते नीराजने ऽथ वा

Transliteration

havirnivedanātpūrvaṃ dīpadānādanantaram | kuryādāvaraṇābhyarcāṃ prāpte nīrājane 'tha vā

Translation

Vor der Darbringung des Naivedya (geweihten Speiseopfers) und unmittelbar nach dem Darreichen der Lampe soll man die Āvaraṇa-arcana vollziehen, die Verehrung der umgebenden Gottheiten; oder man tue es, wenn die Zeit der Nīrājana, des Schwenkens der Lichter, gekommen ist.

Word by Word

• हविः-निवेदनात्: after the offering of oblation
• हविः-निवेदनात्: Apadana (अपादान/‘after/from’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक) + निवेदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (हविषः निवेदनम्)

• पूर्वम्: before; earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थे)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• दीप-दानात्: after the giving of a lamp
• दीप-दानात्: Apadana (अपादान/‘after/from’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीप (प्रातिपदिक) + दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दीपस्य दानम्)

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Kala (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: immediately after)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आवरण-अभ्यर्चाम्: the worship of the enclosure (āvaraṇa)
• आवरण-अभ्यर्चाम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवरण (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यर्चा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आवरणस्य अभ्यर्चा)

• प्राप्ते: when it has come/when it is time
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; √आप् + क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute sense)

• नीराजने: at the ārati (nirājana)
• नीराजने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Occasion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीराजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• अथ: then; or else
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (then/alternatively)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva ritual procedure as taught in the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Specifies liturgical sequencing (dīpa → āvaraṇa-arcana → naivedya / or at nīrājana), reflecting Siddhānta’s stress on disciplined kriyā as a means to purify the paśu and align worship with cosmic order (ṛta).

Ritual Elements

Offering: dipa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that devotion must be orderly and complete: worship is not only directed to Shiva as Pati, but also respectfully includes His sacred retinue (āvaraṇa), integrating outer ritual precision with inner reverence so the puja becomes whole and spiritually efficacious.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In Saguna Linga-puja, upacāras follow a specific sequence—lamp offering, āvaraṇa-arcana, then naivedya and/or nīrājana—so that the devotee honors Shiva’s manifest presence and His cosmic order, approaching the Linga with completeness rather than a partial offering.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform āvaraṇa-arcana at the proper time—after dīpa-dāna and before naivedya (or at nīrājana)—while mentally offering the same reverence to Shiva’s attendants; accompany it with steady japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to keep the mind anchored in devotion.