कैलासगमनं कुबेरसख्यं च — Śiva’s Journey to Kailāsa and His Friendship with Kubera
महापतिव्रतामस्य पत्नी प्रोवाच तामथ । स दीक्षितो यज्ञदत्तः श्रौतकर्मपरायणः
mahāpativratāmasya patnī provāca tāmatha | sa dīkṣito yajñadattaḥ śrautakarmaparāyaṇaḥ
Then his wife—herself a great pativratā, an exemplar of sacred wifely fidelity—spoke to her. That man, Yajñadatta, had already received dīkṣā in due form and was wholly devoted to the Vedic Śrauta sacrificial rites.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: teaching
It contrasts external ritual qualification (dīkṣā and Śrauta rites) with the narrative’s broader Shaiva emphasis that true auspiciousness culminates in devotion to Pati (Śiva), not ritual alone.
By highlighting a person devoted to Śrauta sacrifices, the text sets the stage for showing how Saguna Shiva worship—often centered on the Liṅga—can surpass or fulfill ritual aims through direct bhakti and grace.
The verse explicitly points to Vedic Śrauta-yajña discipline (dīkṣā and prescribed rites); in Shaiva practice this is often complemented by Shiva-upāsanā such as japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and observances like bhasma-dhāraṇa.