Shloka 9

संन्यासमण्डलविधिवर्णनम्

Sannyāsa Maṇḍala Vidhi—Procedure for the Renunciate Mandala

Devanagari script

कर्णिकायां लिखेद्यंत्रं प्रणवार्थप्रकाशकम् । अधः पीठं समालिख्य श्रीकण्ठं च तदूर्ध्वतः

Transliteration

karṇikāyāṃ likhedyaṃtraṃ praṇavārthaprakāśakam | adhaḥ pīṭhaṃ samālikhya śrīkaṇṭhaṃ ca tadūrdhvataḥ

Translation

Im zentralen Fruchtknoten (karnikā) schreibe man das Yantra ein, das die Bedeutung des Praṇava (Oṁ) erhellt. Darunter zeichne man sorgfältig das Pīṭha; und darüber stelle man Śrīkaṇṭha dar, den Herrn Śiva mit der glückverheißenden Kehle.

Word by Word

• कर्णिकायाम्: in the pericarp/central whorl
• कर्णिकायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्णिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• लिखेत्: should draw/inscribe
• लिखेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिख् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यन्त्रम्: a yantra (diagram)
• यन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• प्रणव-अर्थ-प्रकाशकम्: revealing the meaning of the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणव-अर्थ-प्रकाशकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकाशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रणवस्य अर्थं प्रकाशयति इति)

• अधः: below
• अधः: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-क्रियाविशेषण ‘below’

• पीठम्: the pedestal/base
• पीठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• समालिख्य: having drawn (it) fully
• समालिख्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-लिख् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having drawn completely’

• श्रीकण्ठम्: Śrīkaṇṭha (Śiva)
• श्रीकण्ठम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (श्रीमान् कण्ठः यस्य/श्रीः कण्ठे)

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

• तत्-ऊर्ध्वतः: above that
• तत्-ऊर्ध्वतः: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ऊर्ध्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययार्थे ‘above that’; ऊर्ध्वतः = अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasa teachings to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ (praṇava)

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva (Śrīkaṇṭha)

FAQs

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

It teaches that Praṇava (Oṁ) is not merely a sound but a revelatory principle: by installing its meaning in a yantra and placing Śiva (Śrīkaṇṭha) above the pīṭha, the seeker aligns worship (kriyā) with true knowledge (jñāna) of Pati—leading toward liberation.

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

The instruction to draw a pīṭha and place Śrīkaṇṭha above it reflects saguna-upāsanā: Shiva is approached through a consecrated support (pīṭha/adhāra) and a defined divine form, while the Praṇava-yantra anchors the worship in mantra-essence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A yantra-based dhyāna: inscribe a Praṇava-meaning yantra in the center, establish the pīṭha below, contemplate Śrīkaṇṭha above, and mentally unite mantra (Oṁ) with Shiva’s form during japa and meditation.