Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 60
गजासुरतपः–देवलोकक्षोभः
Gajāsura’s Austerities and the Disturbance of the Worlds
इष्टगंधिस्सदैवास्तु सदैवास्त्वतिकोमला । सदैव निर्मला चास्तु सदैवास्त्वतिमंडनाम्
iṣṭagaṃdhissadaivāstu sadaivāstvatikomalā | sadaiva nirmalā cāstu sadaivāstvatimaṃḍanām
Qu’elle soit à jamais pourvue d’un parfum agréable; qu’elle soit toujours d’une tendresse extrême. Qu’elle demeure toujours pure, et qu’elle soit sans cesse parée de l’ornement suprême.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the episode to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Gajasamhāramūrti
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It frames auspicious outer qualities—fragrance, softness, purity, and adornment—as expressions of inner śuddhi (purification) and divine grace, aligning the devotee’s life with Shiva’s auspicious order (śivam).
In Saguna Shiva worship, sanctity is expressed through purity and auspicious presentation—cleanliness, fragrance, and ornamentation—mirroring how the Liṅga and the deity are honored in pūjā as embodiments of Shiva’s grace within form.
Maintain nirmalatā (cleanliness and purity) in body and altar, offer gandha (fragrant sandal paste/incense) in Shiva-pūjā, and pair it with steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as the inner ‘adornment’ of the mind.