Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 19
देवस्तुतिः—शिवस्य परब्रह्मत्वं, मायाशक्तिः, कर्मफलप्रदातृत्वं च
Devas’ Hymn: Śiva as Parabrahman, Māyā-Śakti, and Giver of Karmic Fruits
ईशाय वायवे तुभ्यं संस्पर्शाय नमोनमः । पशूनांपतये तुभ्यं यजमानाय वेधसे
īśāya vāyave tubhyaṃ saṃsparśāya namonamaḥ | paśūnāṃpataye tubhyaṃ yajamānāya vedhase
再三顶礼于汝——自在主，亦为伐由（Vāyu，生命之息），乃神圣触与接之本原。顶礼于汝，帕舒帕提（Paśupati）众生之主；顶礼于汝，作祭主（Yajamāna）而受供养者；并顶礼于汝，维达斯（Vedhas）全智的安立者，塑造并引导一切。
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the hymn of salutations within the Satī-khaṇḍa context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Significance: Explicitly names Paśupati—central to Pati-Paśu-Pāśa: the Lord who can loosen pāśa through anugraha; pilgrims may contemplate surrender (śaraṇāgati) and inner offering (yajña) as the true rite.
Mantra: ईशाय वायवे तुभ्यं संस्पर्शाय नमोनमः । पशूनांपतये तुभ्यं यजमानाय वेधसे
Type: stotra
Offering: dhupa
FAQs
The verse praises Shiva as Pati (Lord) in multiple dimensions—inner as prāṇa (vāyu), outer as the ruler of beings (Paśupati), and transcendent as the ordainer (vedhas). In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, it points to the Lord who liberates the paśu (bound soul) by His grace, pervading even the senses and vital force.
It supports Saguna worship by naming accessible aspects of Shiva—Īśa, Paśupati, and the divine recipient of sacrifice—through which the devotee can offer reverence in ritual and contemplation. Linga worship similarly treats Shiva as the all-pervading presence who receives offerings and sanctifies the worshipper’s embodied life (prāṇa and senses).
A practical takeaway is prāṇa-focused japa: mentally salute Shiva as vāyu while repeating the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), aligning breath with devotion. In pūjā, offer worship with the awareness that Shiva is the true yajamāna (lord of the rite) and Paśupati (protector of all beings).