Shloka 71

शिवध्यानपूजनवर्णनम्

Description of Śiva Meditation and Worship

Devanagari script

एवम्मान्त्वां च देवेशि ध्यात्वा नियतमानसः । स्नापयेच्छंखतोयेन प्रणवप्रोक्षणक्रमात्

Transliteration

evammāntvāṃ ca deveśi dhyātvā niyatamānasaḥ | snāpayecchaṃkhatoyena praṇavaprokṣaṇakramāt

Translation

وهكذا، أيتها الإلهة سيدة الآلهة: بعد فهم ذلك والتأمل بقلبٍ منضبط، ينبغي أن يُغسَّل (رمز شيفا المقدّس، اللِّينغا) بماءٍ من الصَّدَفة، وفق ترتيب الرشّ المقرون بالبرَنَفَة «أوم».

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• मा: O (mother/lady)
• मा: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संबोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री/पुं (सर्वनाम); द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• देवेशि: O Goddess, mistress of the gods
• देवेशि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवेशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; संबोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated (upon)
• ध्यात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• नियत-मानसः: one whose mind is disciplined
• नियत-मानसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (नियतं मानसं यस्य)

• स्नापयेत्: should bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु) [णिच् causative: स्नापय-]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• शंख-तोयेन: with water (kept) in a conch
• शंख-तोयेन: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक) + तोय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शंखे स्थितं तोयम्)

• प्रणव-प्रोक्षण-क्रमात्: according to the sequence of sprinkling with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणव-प्रोक्षण-क्रमात्: Apādāna/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (प्रणवेन प्रोक्षणस्य क्रमः)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific Jyotirliṅga episode; the verse gives a general Āgamic-style liṅga-abhiṣeka injunction: meditate with restraint, then bathe the liṅga with conch-water while sanctifying by Praṇava-prokṣaṇa.

Significance: Establishes the inner prerequisite (dhyāna, niyama) for outer worship; abhiṣeka with praṇava is framed as a grace-bearing act that purifies the paśu and loosens pāśa.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: ॐ (praṇava)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that outer worship (abhisheka) must be joined to inner discipline: meditation with a restrained mind, and sanctification through Praṇava (Oṁ), aligning the worshipper with Pati (Śiva) for purification and grace.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

The verse points to Linga-abhiṣeka as Saguna worship—approaching Śiva through a sacred, worshippable form—while invoking Oṁ to connect the visible rite to Śiva’s transcendent reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate first with a focused mind, then perform abhiṣeka using water poured from a conch, and carry out prokṣaṇa (sprinkling) in due order while chanting the Praṇava (Oṁ).