Shloka 62

प्रणवमहिमा — The Greatness of the Praṇava (Om) as Śiva

Devanagari script

हस्तं निधाय शिरसि शिष्यस्य प्रीतमानसः । ऋष्यादिसहितं तस्य दक्षकर्णे समुच्चरेत्

Transliteration

hastaṃ nidhāya śirasi śiṣyasya prītamānasaḥ | ṛṣyādisahitaṃ tasya dakṣakarṇe samuccaret

Translation

Mit freudigem Herzen legt der Lehrer seine Hand auf den Kopf des Schülers und soll ihm das Mantra, zusammen mit ṛṣi und weiteren Vorangaben (wie Metrum und leitender Gottheit), leise in das rechte Ohr rezitieren.

Word by Word

• हस्तम्: hand
• हस्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• निधाय: having placed
• निधाय: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), धातु: नि-धा; क्रियाविशेषणभावः (पूर्वकर्म)

• शिरसि: on the head
• शिरसि: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• शिष्यस्य: of the disciple
• शिष्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रीत-मानसः: with a pleased mind
• प्रीत-मानसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत (कृदन्त, प्री-धातोः क्त) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: प्रीतं मानसं यस्य (pleased-minded)

• ऋषि-आदि-सहितम्: together with the ṛṣis etc.
• ऋषि-आदि-सहितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (कृदन्त, सह-धा/सह-इ?; सामान्यतः 'सह' + 'इ' से 'सहित')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ऋष्यादिभिः सहितम् (accompanied by rishis etc.)

• तस्य: of him/of that (disciple)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• दक्ष-कर्णे: in the right ear
• दक्ष-कर्णे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: दक्षः कर्णः (right ear)

• समुच्चरेत्: should utter/recite
• समुच्चरेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उत्-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

FAQs

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

It establishes the sanctity of dīkṣā: Shiva’s grace flows through the guru, who transmits the mantra properly (with ṛṣi, chandas, devatā, etc.), awakening the disciple’s eligibility for purification and liberation.

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

Mantra received through initiation becomes the inner method for approaching Saguna Shiva (including Linga worship) with correct nyāsa and remembrance of the mantra’s devatā, making external pūjā spiritually effective and inwardly transformative.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to formal mantra-dīkṣā: the guru places a blessing hand on the head and recites the Shiva-mantra into the right ear along with its mantra-aṅgas; the disciple then practices japa and contemplation as instructed.