Shloka 32
दशशैवव्रतप्रश्नः — Inquiry into the Ten Principal Śaiva Vratas
निधाय चैव तद्द्रव्यं पूजार्थं शिवसन्निधौ । पुनः स्नायात्तदा तत्र विधिपूर्वं नरोत्तमः
nidhāya caiva taddravyaṃ pūjārthaṃ śivasannidhau | punaḥ snāyāttadā tatra vidhipūrvaṃ narottamaḥ
निधाय तद्द्रव्यं पूजार्थं शिवसन्निधौ। पुनः स्नायात्तदा तत्र विधिपूर्वं नरोत्तमः॥
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
Significance: Re-establishes ritual purity (śauca) before approaching Śiva; supports eligibility (adhikāra) for pūjā and mantra-japa.
FAQs
It teaches that approaching Śiva’s sannidhi requires inner and outer purification—placing offerings with reverence and renewing cleanliness so the worship becomes a disciplined, sattvic act of bhakti aligned with śāstric vidhi.
The verse assumes worship in Śiva’s immediate presence (often the Liṅga in a Jyotirliṅga shrine). By stressing proper preparation and bathing, it frames Saguna upāsanā as a sacred encounter where the devotee’s purity and orderliness honor the manifest form of Śiva.
A practical instruction is given: set the puja materials near Śiva and perform a second, rule-based bath (snāna) before continuing worship—supporting a focused mind for mantra-japa (such as the Pañcākṣarī) and orderly Liṅga-pūjā.