Shloka 6

Mantra-Nyāsa and Elemental Maṇḍalas: Nāga Invocation and Garuḍa–Bhairava Dhyāna for Protection

Devanagari script

परापरविभिन्नाश्च शिवस्योर्ध्वाध ईरिताः / रेफेणाङ्गेषु सर्वत्र न्यासं कुर्याद्यथाविधि

Transliteration

parāparavibhinnāśca śivasyordhvādha īritāḥ / repheṇāṅgeṣu sarvatra nyāsaṃ kuryādyathāvidhi

Translation

لقد بُيِّنَت لِشِيفا الأوضاعُ العُليا والسُّفلى، مُتَمايِزةً كلٌّ بحسبها، فوقًا وتحتًا. وبحرف «را» (repha) يُجري السالكُ نِياسا (nyāsa) على جميع الأعضاء في كل موضع، على وفقِ السنن المقرَّرة.

Word by Word

• परापरविभिन्नाः: distinguished as higher and lower (separately differentiated)
• परापरविभिन्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + अपर + भिन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √भिद् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (past passive participle used adjectivally)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive), एकवचनम्

• ऊर्ध्वाधः: above and below
• ऊर्ध्वाधः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व + अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समासः; दिशावाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘above and below’)

• ईरिताः: are stated/declared
• ईरिताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईरित (प्रातिपदिक; √ईर्/ईरय् (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (stated/declared)

• रेफेण: with the letter ‘ra’ (repha)
• रेफेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेफ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• अङ्गेषु: in the limbs
• अङ्गेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative), बहुवचनम्

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• न्यासम्: nyāsa (ritual placement)
• न्यासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative), एकवचनम्

• कुर्यात्: should perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘as/according to’)

• विधि: rule; prescribed method
• विधि: Sambandha (Standard/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative), एकवचनम्; ‘यथाविधि’ इत्यत्र अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः (used in the sense ‘according to rule’)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nyāsa as sanctification of the body through mantra-bīja (repha ‘ra’) according to vidhi.

Vedantic Theme: Adhyātma-yajña: internalization of worship; the body as a field for sādhana leading toward purity of antaḥkaraṇa.

Application: Perform prescribed aṅga-nyāsa/karanyāsa with clear phonetic repha placement; maintain consistency of sequence and intention (saṅkalpa).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.197.7-10 (japa-siddhi; bhūpura/maṇḍala visualizations)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Repha (letter ‘ra’)
• Nyasa

FAQs

What is the importance of nyāsa in the Garuda Purana’s ritual instructions?

This verse presents nyāsa as a mandatory, rule-based method for installing mantra-power on the practitioner’s limbs, indicating that correct ritual placement (yathāvidhi) is essential for Śiva-related practice.

What does ‘repha’ mean here, and why is it used in nyāsa?

Repha refers to the Sanskrit letter ‘ra’ (र). The verse instructs that nyāsa should be performed using this ‘ra’ sound/letter across the body, implying a specific Śaiva mantra-phonetic mapping taught in this chapter.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If one follows a traditional Śiva-mantra practice, this verse emphasizes disciplined, text-based procedure—learning nyāsa from a competent teacher and applying the mantra-syllables carefully rather than improvising.