Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 51
पूजनीयो विशेषेण स गणश्शिवपूजने । नार्चयंतीह ये पूर्वं तेषामर्चा वृथा भवेत्
pūjanīyo viśeṣeṇa sa gaṇaśśivapūjane | nārcayaṃtīha ye pūrvaṃ teṣāmarcā vṛthā bhavet
在礼敬主湿婆之时，此伽那当受特别恭敬。凡在此不先礼拜他、便开始湿婆供养（普迦）者，其供养将成徒然无果。
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
Type: stotra
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It teaches that Śiva-bhakti bears fruit when performed with proper reverence and order; honoring Gaṇeśa—the foremost of Śiva’s gaṇas and remover of impediments—stabilizes the rite so devotion reaches Śiva without obstruction.
In Saguna Śiva worship—especially Liṅga pūjā—traditional procedure begins with invoking auspiciousness and removing obstacles; this verse grounds that practice by stating that neglecting Gaṇeśa before commencing Śiva’s worship renders the ritual ineffective.
Begin Śiva-pūjā with Gaṇapati arcana (simple offering, mantra-japa, and invocation) before proceeding to Śiva’s upacāras such as abhiṣeka, bilva offerings, and pañcākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya).