Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 49
द्वितीयतृतीयावरणपूजाक्रमः | The Sequence of the Second and Third Enclosure Worship (Āvaraṇa-pūjā)
अष्टधा वा चतुर्धा वा कृत्वा पूजां समंततः । एवं ब्रह्माणमभ्यर्च्य त्रिभिरावरणैर्युतम्
aṣṭadhā vā caturdhā vā kṛtvā pūjāṃ samaṃtataḥ | evaṃ brahmāṇamabhyarcya tribhirāvaraṇairyutam
Having performed the worship all around, either in eight divisions or in four, one should thus duly adore Brahmā—conceived as being attended by the three enclosures (āvaraṇas).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
FAQs
It emphasizes ordered, all-encompassing worship (samantataḥ) performed in a structured manner (fourfold or eightfold), reflecting the Shaiva view that disciplined outer ritual supports inner purification and right orientation toward the Divine.
The method of dividing worship into parts and honoring āvaraṇas parallels āvaraṇa-pūjā used in Saguna worship—where the devotee approaches the central deity (often Shiva as Linga) through successive ritual ‘enclosures,’ cultivating reverence and concentration.
Perform a structured pūjā—either fourfold or eightfold—circling/covering the directions and then offering worship through three ritual enclosures (āvaraṇas), using mantra-japa and focused attention as the inner counterpart.