आवरणपूजाविधानम् / The Procedure of Āvaraṇa (Enclosure) Worship
हविर्निवेदनात्पूर्वं दीपदानादनन्तरम् । कुर्यादावरणाभ्यर्चां प्राप्ते नीराजने ऽथ वा
havirnivedanātpūrvaṃ dīpadānādanantaram | kuryādāvaraṇābhyarcāṃ prāpte nīrājane 'tha vā
Trước khi dâng naivedya (thực phẩm cúng), và ngay sau khi dâng đèn, hành giả nên làm āvaraṇa-arcana, tức lễ bái các thần hộ trì bao quanh; hoặc nếu không thì thực hiện vào lúc đến thời nīrājana (nghi thức vẫy đèn).
Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva ritual procedure as taught in the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā)
Tattva Level: pashu
Significance: Specifies liturgical sequencing (dīpa → āvaraṇa-arcana → naivedya / or at nīrājana), reflecting Siddhānta’s stress on disciplined kriyā as a means to purify the paśu and align worship with cosmic order (ṛta).
Offering: dipa
It teaches that devotion must be orderly and complete: worship is not only directed to Shiva as Pati, but also respectfully includes His sacred retinue (āvaraṇa), integrating outer ritual precision with inner reverence so the puja becomes whole and spiritually efficacious.
In Saguna Linga-puja, upacāras follow a specific sequence—lamp offering, āvaraṇa-arcana, then naivedya and/or nīrājana—so that the devotee honors Shiva’s manifest presence and His cosmic order, approaching the Linga with completeness rather than a partial offering.
Perform āvaraṇa-arcana at the proper time—after dīpa-dāna and before naivedya (or at nīrājana)—while mentally offering the same reverence to Shiva’s attendants; accompany it with steady japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) to keep the mind anchored in devotion.