Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 23
सृष्टिक्रमवर्णनम् / Description of the Sequence of Creation
पुलस्त्यः पुलहश्चैव क्रतुश्चर्षिवरस्तथा । अत्रिर्वासिष्ठो वह्निश्च पितरश्च यथाक्रमम्
pulastyaḥ pulahaścaiva kratuścarṣivarastathā | atrirvāsiṣṭho vahniśca pitaraśca yathākramam
Pulastya et Pulaha, Kratu et le sage éminent (Arṣivara), Atri et Vasiṣṭha, ainsi que Vahni (Agni) et les Pitṛ (Pères ancestraux) — qu’on les comprenne selon leur ordre propre.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Offering: naivedya
Cosmic Event: enumeration of prajāpati/ṛṣi lineages and pitṛ-order as part of sarga’s administrative cosmos
FAQs
It affirms that creation and dharma function through an ordained cosmic order (yathākramam), where sages, sacred fire (Agni), and the Pitṛs uphold continuity—an order ultimately grounded in Śiva as Pati, the supreme regulator of the cosmos.
By naming the Vedic-ṛṣi lineage and Agni, the verse situates ritual and revelation within a structured universe; in Śaiva Siddhānta, such ordered means (karma and jñāna) culminate in devotion to Saguna Śiva—often approached through Liṅga worship as the stable axis of sacred order.
The mention of Vahni (Agni) and the Pitṛs points to disciplined performance of śrauta/smārta rites—especially homa and pitṛ-tarpaṇa—done with Śiva-bhakti, and supported by japa of Śiva’s mantra (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to consecrate actions toward liberation.