Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 2
पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow
वायुरुवाच । रहस्यं वः प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वपापनिकृन्तनम् । व्रतं पाशुपतं श्रौतमथर्वशिरसि श्रुतम्
vāyuruvāca | rahasyaṃ vaḥ pravakṣyāmi sarvapāpanikṛntanam | vrataṃ pāśupataṃ śrautamatharvaśirasi śrutam
Vāyu dit : « Je vous exposerai un enseignement secret qui tranche tous les péchés : l’observance Pāśupata védique (śrauta), telle qu’elle est entendue dans l’Atharvaśiras. »
Vayu
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Significance: Positions the Pāśupata observance as a śruti-rooted ‘secret’ that severs pāpa (a facet of bondage), preparing the soul for Śiva’s grace.
Role: teaching
FAQs
This verse frames the Pāśupata vrata as an esoteric, Śiva-centered discipline that severs accumulated sin (pāpa), preparing the bound soul (paśu) for Śiva’s grace and liberation—key themes of Shaiva Siddhanta.
By naming the observance “Pāśupata,” the verse points to devotion to Paśupati—Saguna Śiva approachable through worship (often including Linga-upāsanā), where ritual purity and surrender become supports for inner realization.
It indicates undertaking a śrauta-aligned Pāśupata vow—i.e., a disciplined Shaiva regimen grounded in śruti (Atharvaśiras), typically involving regulated conduct, mantra-oriented devotion to Śiva, and purificatory observances aimed at cutting sin.