Shloka 113
Praṇava-Māhātmya and the Twofold Mantra (Sūkṣma–Sthūla) in Śaiva Sādhanā
अघोरनिलयं पश्चात्तृतीयावरणं परम् । पुरुषस्यैव सांबस्य द्वितीयावरणं शुभम्
aghoranilayaṃ paścāttṛtīyāvaraṇaṃ param | puruṣasyaiva sāṃbasya dvitīyāvaraṇaṃ śubham
Thereafter, the supreme third enclosure is the abode of Aghora. And the auspicious second enclosure belongs indeed to Puruṣa, of Śiva in His form as Sāmbā (Śiva united with Śakti).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Āghoramūrti
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: The third and second enclosures are assigned to Aghora and to Puruṣa ‘of Sāmbā’—a spatial theology where the pilgrim’s movement mirrors entry into progressively subtler Śiva-aspects, culminating in the auspicious (śubha) sphere of Śiva-with-Śakti.
Significance: Highlights that Viśveśvara is not merely transcendent but also ‘Sāmbā’—approachable through auspiciousness, protection, and grace mediated by Śakti; the devotee is invited to see dissolution (Aghora) as purificatory, not terrifying.
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Umā
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It maps the inner logic of Śaiva worship through successive “āvaraṇas” (enclosures): the seeker approaches Sāmbā-Śiva by contemplating specific divine aspects (Puruṣa and Aghora), refining awareness from outer ritual order toward inner purity and grace.
In Saguna-Liṅga worship, Śiva is adored through structured circuits/enclosures associated with His revelatory forms. Here, the second and third āvaraṇas are linked to Puruṣa and Aghora, indicating prescribed stages of reverence around the Liṅga that align devotion with Śiva’s manifested powers.
Perform circumambulation and worship in the indicated sequence while meditating on Puruṣa and Aghora as aspects of Sāmbā-Śiva; accompany the practice with mantra-japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) to internalize the progression of the āvaraṇas.