Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23
न्यासत्रैविध्य-भूतशुद्धि-प्रक्रिया
Threefold Nyāsa and the Procedure of Elemental Purification
पञ्चमः कथ्यते सद्भिर्न्यासः पञ्चाक्षरात्मकः । एतेष्वेकमनेकं वा कुर्यात्पूजादि कर्मसु । अकारं मूर्ध्नि विन्यस्य आकारं च ललाटके । इं ईं च नेत्रयोस्तद्वतुं ऊं श्रवणयोस्तथा
pañcamaḥ kathyate sadbhirnyāsaḥ pañcākṣarātmakaḥ | eteṣvekamanekaṃ vā kuryātpūjādi karmasu | akāraṃ mūrdhni vinyasya ākāraṃ ca lalāṭake | iṃ īṃ ca netrayostadvatuṃ ūṃ śravaṇayostathā
Die fünfte Methode, von den Tugendhaften gepriesen, heißt Nyāsa, gebildet aus den fünf Silben. Bei Handlungen wie der Verehrung kann man eine dieser Nyāsas oder auch mehrere ausführen. Setze ‘a’ auf den Scheitel und ‘ā’ auf die Stirn; ebenso ‘i’ und ‘ī’ auf beide Augen und in gleicher Weise ‘u’ und ‘ū’ auf beide Ohren.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teaching to the sages)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Type: panchakshara
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches pañcākṣara-nyāsa—sanctifying the body by placing mantra-syllables on key sense-centers—so the devotee becomes a fit vessel for Shiva’s grace (Pati) and worship becomes inward as well as outward.
Nyāsa is performed before or alongside Linga-pūjā to internalize Saguna Shiva worship: the devotee aligns mind and senses with the mantra-power, then offers flowers, water, and devotion to the Linga with a purified inner field.
Perform letter-nyāsa of vowel seed-forms on the head, forehead, eyes, and ears as part of Shiva pūjā, using the pañcākṣara framework; it functions as a preparatory concentration practice before japa and offerings.