Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 7

न्यासत्रैविध्य-भूतशुद्धि-प्रक्रिया

Threefold Nyāsa and the Procedure of Elemental Purification

Devanagari script

पञ्चभूताधिपैस्सार्धं ततच्चिह्नसमन्विताः । हृत्कण्टतालुभ्रूमध्यब्रह्मरन्ध्रसमाश्रयाः । तद्तद्बीजेन संग्रंथीस्तद्तद्बीजेषु भावयेत् । तासां विशोधनार्थाय विद्यां पञ्चाक्षरीं जपेत्

Transliteration

pañcabhūtādhipaissārdhaṃ tataccihnasamanvitāḥ | hṛtkaṇṭatālubhrūmadhyabrahmarandhrasamāśrayāḥ | tadtadbījena saṃgraṃthīstadtadbījeṣu bhāvayet | tāsāṃ viśodhanārthāya vidyāṃ pañcākṣarīṃ japet

Translation

Zusammen mit den Herrschern der fünf Elemente und ihre jeweiligen Zeichen tragend, weilen diese inneren Kräfte im Herzen, in der Kehle, am Gaumen, im Raum zwischen den Augenbrauen und im brahma-randhra (Scheitelöffnung). Man soll die Knoten (granthis) mittels ihrer jeweiligen Samen-Silben betrachten und in jedem eigenen bīja verweilen. Zu ihrer Reinigung wiederhole man in Japa die fünf-silbige Vidyā, das Pañcākṣarī-Mantra: „Namaḥ Śivāya“.

Word by Word

• pañca-bhūta-adhipaiḥ: with the lords of the five elements
• pañca-bhūta-adhipaiḥ: Sahakāraka/Instrument (करण/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: pañcabhūtānām adhipāḥ = ‘lords of the five elements’

• sārdham: together with
• sārdham: Saha (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārdham (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb/preposition-like (सह-अर्थक अव्यय) governing Instrumental sense

• tad-tat-cihna-samanvitāḥ: endowed with their respective signs
• tad-tat-cihna-samanvitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + cihna (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (समन्वित, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; ‘endowed with respective marks’ (तत्-तत् = respective)

• hṛt-kaṇṭa-tālu-bhrūmadhya-brahmarandhra-samāśrayāḥ: residing in heart, throat, palate, mid-brow, and brahmarandhra
• hṛt-kaṇṭa-tālu-bhrūmadhya-brahmarandhra-samāśrayāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭha (प्रातिपदिक) + tālu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrūmadhya (प्रातिपदिक) + brahmarandhra (प्रातिपदिक) + samāśraya (समाश्रय, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘having resort in (located at) heart, throat, palate, mid-brow, and brahmarandhra’

• tad-tad-bījena: by the respective seed (mantra)
• tad-tad-bījena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; ‘by each respective seed(-mantra)’

• saṃgranthīn: the knots (granthis)
• saṃgranthīn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃgranthi (संग्रन्थि, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; object of bhāvayet

• tad-tad-bījeṣu: in the respective seed-mantras
• tad-tad-bījeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + bīja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural; ‘in the respective seeds’

• bhāvayet: should contemplate/infuse
• bhāvayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु) [causative: bhāvaya-]
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tāsām: of those
• tāsām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; ‘of those (knots/energies)’

• viśodhana-arthāya: for purification
• viśodhana-arthāya: Sampradāna/Purpose (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśodhana (विशोधन, प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; प्रयोजन-द्योतक: ‘for the purpose of purification’

• vidyām: the mantra (vidyā)
• vidyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (विद्या, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of japet

• pañca-akṣarīm: five-syllabled
• pañca-akṣarīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣarī (अक्षरी, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; द्विगु-समासः: ‘five-syllabled’ qualifying vidyām

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that inner purification (viśोधनā) of the subtle centers and their “knots” is accomplished by meditating on elemental principles and, above all, by japa of Shiva’s Pañcākṣarī—devotionally aligning the soul (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati) and loosening bondage (pāśa).

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

The Pañcākṣarī is a core Saguna practice: through mantra-japa the devotee approaches Shiva as the gracious Lord who purifies and uplifts. This inner worship complements external Linga-pūjā, making the body-mind a fit vessel for Shiva’s presence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on the heart, throat, palate, brow-center, and brahma-randhra with their respective bija contemplations, then perform steady japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Namaḥ Śivāya”) specifically for purification of the inner granthis.