Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 1
पाशुपतव्रतविधिः | The Procedure of the Supreme Pāśupata Vow
ऋषय ऊचुः । भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामो व्रतं पाशुपतं परम् । ब्रह्मादयो ऽपि यत्कृत्वा सर्वे पाशुपताः स्मृताः
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | bhagavañchrotumicchāmo vrataṃ pāśupataṃ param | brahmādayo 'pi yatkṛtvā sarve pāśupatāḥ smṛtāḥ
Para resi berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan, kami ingin mendengar laku-vrata Pāśupata yang tertinggi; dengan melaksanakannya bahkan Brahmā dan para dewa lainnya pun dikenang sebagai Pāśupata, para bhakta Paśupati Śiva.”
The sages (Ṛṣis) addressing Sūta Gosvāmin (the narrator) in the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā context
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
FAQs
It establishes the Pāśupata Vrata as a supreme Shaiva discipline that transforms even the highest cosmic beings into devoted followers of Paśupati, implying that liberation and grace depend on Śiva-bhakti and right observance rather than status.
By seeking the Pāśupata observance, the sages point toward practical Saguna worship—vows, disciplines, and devotion directed to Paśupati, commonly expressed in Shiva Purana through Linga-centered worship and regulated Shaiva conduct.
The verse introduces a vow-based Shaiva practice (vrata) centered on Paśupati; in the Shiva Purana this typically unfolds into disciplines such as mantra-japa, purity observances, and Shaiva marks like bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and Rudrākṣa, as detailed in the subsequent narration.