Shloka 45
Praṇava-Māhātmya and the Twofold Mantra (Sūkṣma–Sthūla) in Śaiva Sādhanā
पूजाद्र व्याणि संपाद्य शिवपूजां समारभेत् । शिवपूजां च विधिवत्कृत्वा होमं समारभेत्
pūjādra vyāṇi saṃpādya śivapūjāṃ samārabhet | śivapūjāṃ ca vidhivatkṛtvā homaṃ samārabhet
Having procured the materials required for worship, one should begin the worship of Lord Śiva. And after performing that Śiva-pūjā according to proper rule, one should then commence the homa (fire-offering).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Significance: Codifies the standard Śaiva ritual arc—pūjā followed by homa—mirroring temple and domestic prayogas; performing it ‘vidhivat’ is presented as a reliable path to merit and Śiva’s favor.
Type: rudram
Offering: dhupa
FAQs
It teaches that devotion must be joined with order and purity: first gather proper offerings, then perform Śiva-pūjā correctly, and finally offer homa—so worship becomes a complete act of surrender to Pati (Śiva) that purifies the pashu (individual soul) and loosens pāśa (bondage).
The verse presents the standard liturgical flow used in Saguna worship—approaching Śiva through worship with materials (often centered on the Śiva-liṅga), followed by homa as an extension of the same reverence, offering oblations while maintaining Śiva as the presiding Lord of the rite.
A practical sequence is implied: prepare pūjā-dravya, perform Śiva-pūjā with vidhivat procedures (including mantra such as the Pañcākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and then perform homa—treating the fire-offering as the culmination of the worship.