Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18
विभूतिविस्तरप्रश्नः / Inquiry into the Expansion of Śiva’s Vibhūti
भस्मनोद्धूल्य तं मन्त्रैरग्निरित्यादिभिः क्रमात् । अथ पाशुपतं साक्षाद्व्रतं द्वादशमासिकम्
bhasmanoddhūlya taṃ mantrairagnirityādibhiḥ kramāt | atha pāśupataṃ sākṣādvrataṃ dvādaśamāsikam
Then, having smeared him with sacred ash (bhasma) while reciting in due order the mantras beginning with “Agni …” and the rest, one should thereafter undertake the Pāśupata observance itself—the Lord’s direct vow—to be practiced for twelve months.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Mantra: agnir iti-ādibhiḥ (mantrāḥ)
Type: rudram
FAQs
It teaches that liberation-oriented Shaiva practice begins with consecration through bhasma and mantra, and matures into sustained discipline—the year-long Pāśupata vrata—by which the pashu (bound soul) is oriented toward Paśupati (Śiva) and the cutting of pāśa (bondage).
Bhasma and mantra are external supports for Saguna worship—purifying the body-mind and establishing devotion and reverence—so the practitioner can approach Śiva (often worshiped as the Liṅga) with steadiness, purity, and regulated conduct befitting a vrata.
Apply sacred ash (bhasma), traditionally as Tripuṇḍra, while reciting the prescribed mantras in sequence, and then observe the Pāśupata vow continuously for twelve months with disciplined conduct, japa, and Shiva-centered worship.