Shloka 2
प्रथमम्पूजितौ यत्र तत्रैव क्रमशस्सुधीः । गन्धाद्यैरर्चयेत्पूर्वं देवौ हेरंबषण्मुखौ
prathamampūjitau yatra tatraiva kramaśassudhīḥ | gandhādyairarcayetpūrvaṃ devau heraṃbaṣaṇmukhau
Wherever they are to be worshipped first, the wise devotee should, in that very place and in due order, begin by offering sandal paste and the like, first venerating the two gods—Heramba (Gaṇeśa) and Ṣaṇmukha (Kārttikeya).
Suta Goswami (narrating the prescribed order of worship to the sages, typical of Purāṇic instruction in the Kailāsa-saṃhitā)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It teaches niyama (disciplined order) in worship: the devotee begins by honoring Gaṇeśa (remover of obstacles) and Kārttikeya (divine strength and right action), preparing the mind and ritual space for a faultless approach to Shiva, the supreme Pati.
In Saguna Shiva worship—especially in linga-pūjā—preliminary veneration of attendant deities is a traditional Shaiva protocol, ensuring the rite proceeds without impediments and aligning the devotee’s faculties before focusing on Shiva as the highest object of worship.
It suggests a practical pūjā-krama: first offer gandha (sandalpaste/fragrance) and related upacāras to Gaṇeśa and Kārttikeya, then proceed to the main Shiva worship; inwardly, begin with obstacle-clearing intention and steady resolve before mantra-japa (such as the Panchākṣarī, Om Namaḥ Śivāya).