Shloka 16
Kṣaura-Snāna-Vidhi — Rite of Tonsure/Shaving and Purificatory Bath (Śaiva Procedure)
प्रणवेनाथ षोडश प्राणानायम्य वाग्यतः । पुनरन्यां स्वोरुदेशे त्रिधा विन्यस्य चोमिति
praṇavenātha ṣoḍaśa prāṇānāyamya vāgyataḥ | punaranyāṃ svorudeśe tridhā vinyasya comiti
Dann, indem er durch die Praṇava „Oṁ“ die sechzehn Lebensströme zügelt und die Rede beherrscht, soll er die mantrische Kraft erneut in drei Setzungen auf die eigene Oberschenkelgegend legen und danach „Oṁ“ sprechen.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Significance: Praṇava-linked prāṇāyāma and implied nyāsa cultivate mantra-śakti and inner steadiness, preparing the paśu for Śiva’s grace through correct installation of sacred power.
Mantra: oṃ (praṇava)
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents a Shaiva yogic discipline where prāṇa-restraint and mantra (Oṁ) are joined with controlled speech and nyāsa, indicating that inner purification and focused installation of mantra lead the seeker toward Shiva-realization (Pati) beyond bondage (pāśa).
Even when external Linga worship is practiced, the Purana emphasizes internalization: by pranava-japa, prāṇa-samyama, and nyāsa, the devotee installs Shiva-consciousness within the body, making the worship both saguna (mantra and ritual) and a gateway to the nirguna truth.
Pranava-based prāṇāyāma (restraining the vital currents), maintaining silence/controlled speech, performing threefold nyāsa on the body (here, the thigh-region), and then uttering/japa of “Oṁ.”