Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 64
अग्निकार्य-होमविधिः
Agnikārya and Homa Procedure
तत्रासनवरं कृत्वा पुष्पाद्यै गुरुमर्चयेत् । ततोनुपूजयेत्पूज्यान् भोजयेच्च बुभुक्षितान्
tatrāsanavaraṃ kṛtvā puṣpādyai gurumarcayet | tatonupūjayetpūjyān bhojayecca bubhukṣitān
Di sana, setelah menyiapkan tempat duduk yang mulia, hendaknya ia memuja Sang Guru dengan bunga dan persembahan lainnya. Sesudah itu, hormatilah mereka yang patut dihormati, dan berilah makan mereka yang lapar.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā
Role: nurturing
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It teaches that Shaiva worship is not only ritual offering but also dharmic conduct: honoring the Guru, respecting the venerable, and practicing compassion through feeding the hungry—acts that purify the pashu (bound soul) and align it toward Pati (Shiva).
In Linga/Saguna Shiva worship, proper upacāras include preparing the āsana and offering flowers; this verse adds that true devotion continues beyond the altar—by revering the Guru and serving devotees, which is treated as service to Shiva Himself.
A practical takeaway is to begin Shaiva pūjā by arranging a clean āsana, offering flowers to the Guru, then performing seva—especially anna-dāna (feeding the hungry). If combined with japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), it becomes a complete bhakti-and-seva discipline.