Shloka 2
आवरणपूजावर्णनम् (Āvaraṇa-pūjā-varṇanam) — Description of Enclosure/Layered Worship
प्रथमम्पूजितौ यत्र तत्रैव क्रमशस्सुधीः । गन्धाद्यैरर्चयेत्पूर्वं देवौ हेरंबषण्मुखौ
prathamampūjitau yatra tatraiva kramaśassudhīḥ | gandhādyairarcayetpūrvaṃ devau heraṃbaṣaṇmukhau
Где бы ни следовало совершить первое поклонение, там же, в должном порядке, мудрый преданный пусть начнёт с подношений сандаловой пасты и прочих благовоний, прежде всего почитая двух богов — Херамбу (Ганешу) и Шанмукху (Карттикею).
Suta Goswami (narrating the prescribed order of worship to the sages, typical of Purāṇic instruction in the Kailāsa-saṃhitā)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It teaches niyama (disciplined order) in worship: the devotee begins by honoring Gaṇeśa (remover of obstacles) and Kārttikeya (divine strength and right action), preparing the mind and ritual space for a faultless approach to Shiva, the supreme Pati.
In Saguna Shiva worship—especially in linga-pūjā—preliminary veneration of attendant deities is a traditional Shaiva protocol, ensuring the rite proceeds without impediments and aligning the devotee’s faculties before focusing on Shiva as the highest object of worship.
It suggests a practical pūjā-krama: first offer gandha (sandalpaste/fragrance) and related upacāras to Gaṇeśa and Kārttikeya, then proceed to the main Shiva worship; inwardly, begin with obstacle-clearing intention and steady resolve before mantra-japa (such as the Panchākṣarī, Om Namaḥ Śivāya).