Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 41
न्यासत्रैविध्य-भूतशुद्धि-प्रक्रिया
Threefold Nyāsa and the Procedure of Elemental Purification
कठ्योः पाण्योर्गुल्फयोश्च यद्वा पञ्चांगवर्त्मना । हंसन्यासमिमं कृत्वा न्यसेत्पञ्चाक्षरीं ततः । यथा पूर्वोक्तमार्गेण शिवत्वं येन जायते । नाशिवः शिवमभ्यस्येन्नाशिवः शिवमर्चयेत्
kaṭhyoḥ pāṇyorgulphayośca yadvā pañcāṃgavartmanā | haṃsanyāsamimaṃ kṛtvā nyasetpañcākṣarīṃ tataḥ | yathā pūrvoktamārgeṇa śivatvaṃ yena jāyate | nāśivaḥ śivamabhyasyennāśivaḥ śivamarcayet
An Hüften, Händen und Knöcheln — oder gemäß dem fünffachen Pfad — nachdem man dieses „Haṃsa-nyāsa“ vollzogen hat, soll man sodann das Pañcākṣarī-Mantra einsetzen. Nach dem zuvor genannten Verfahren, durch das das Śiva-Sein entsteht, gilt: Wer nicht (zu) Śiva geworden ist, soll Śiva nicht üben; und wer nicht (zu) Śiva geworden ist, soll Śiva nicht verehren.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s yogic-ritual instruction as preserved in the Vāyavīya Saṃhitā)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
FAQs
It teaches that mantra-japa and worship mature only when the practitioner is ritually and inwardly transformed toward Śiva-nature (śivatva) through prescribed disciplines like nyāsa—moving from bound individuality (paśu) toward alignment with Pati (Śiva).
Nyāsa prepares the body-mind as a fit vessel so that Saguna worship (including Liṅga-arcana) is not merely external; the devotee installs the Pañcākṣarī and approaches the Liṅga with purified identity and focused Śiva-bhāva.
Perform Haṃsa-nyāsa on specified body points (or via a fivefold method), then do Pañcākṣarī-nyāsa—installing “Namaḥ Śivāya”—as the preparatory practice for effective japa and worship.