Shloka 36
Vāmadeva-mata: Rahasya-upadeśa
The Esoteric Teaching of Vāmadeva’s Doctrine
इति स्तुत्वा वामदेवो देवं सेनापतिं प्रभुम् । प्रदक्षिणात्रयं कृत्वा प्रणम्य भुवि दण्डवत्
iti stutvā vāmadevo devaṃ senāpatiṃ prabhum | pradakṣiṇātrayaṃ kṛtvā praṇamya bhuvi daṇḍavat
Having thus praised, Vāmadeva extolled the Lord—the divine Commander and sovereign. He then performed three pradakṣiṇā (circumambulations) and bowed upon the earth in daṇḍavat prostration, like a staff, in complete surrender.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
FAQs
The verse models Shaiva bhakti as embodied surrender: praise (stuti), then disciplined worship through pradakṣiṇā, culminating in daṇḍavat-praṇāma—ego laid down before Pati (Shiva), the liberating Lord.
Pradakṣiṇā and prostration are classic acts of Saguna Shiva worship, commonly performed around the Shiva-linga; the devotee honors Shiva as the manifest Lord who graciously receives reverence and grants purification and grace.
Perform three pradakṣiṇās with mindful remembrance of Shiva (often with the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), then offer daṇḍavat-praṇāma—an outer act that supports inner humility and one-pointed devotion.