Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 22
अवभृथस्नान-तीर्थयात्रा-तेजोदर्शनम् | Avabhṛtha Bath, Tīrtha-Pilgrimage, and the Vision of Divine Radiance
तं दृष्ट्वा षट्कुलीयास्ते नारदं मुनिगोवृषम् । प्रणम्यावसरं शंभोः पप्रच्छुः परमादरात्
taṃ dṛṣṭvā ṣaṭkulīyāste nāradaṃ munigovṛṣam | praṇamyāvasaraṃ śaṃbhoḥ papracchuḥ paramādarāt
Als sie Nārada erblickten—den Stier unter den Weisen—verneigten sich jene Anhänger der sechs Linien vor ihm. Dann fragten sie ihn mit höchster Ehrfurcht nach der rechten Zeit und der rechten Weise der Verehrung Śambhus (Herrn Śivas).
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
The verse highlights the Shaiva principle that right knowledge and right worship arise through humility: devotees first bow to a realized sage (Nārada) and then inquire about Śiva’s worship with reverence, aligning devotion (bhakti) with proper understanding.
By asking about Śambhu’s ‘avasara’ (proper occasion and method), the devotees indicate that Saguna worship—often centered on the Śiva-liṅga—should be performed according to sacred timing, purity, and prescribed observances, so the worship becomes a direct means of grace.
The practical takeaway is to approach Shiva worship with discipline: seek guidance from the learned, choose auspicious times (such as pradoṣa or Mahāśivarātri), and perform Shiva-puja with mantra (e.g., the Pañcākṣarī), along with traditional aids like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa where appropriate.