Shloka 96

Adhyaya 8: Yogasthanas, Ashtanga Yoga, Pranayama-Siddhi, and Shiva-Dhyana leading to Samadhi

Devanagari script

नाभौ वाथ गले वापि भ्रूमध्ये वा यथाविधि ललाटफलिकायां वा मूर्ध्नि ध्यानं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

nābhau vātha gale vāpi bhrūmadhye vā yathāvidhi lalāṭaphalikāyāṃ vā mūrdhni dhyānaṃ samācaret

Translation

One should duly undertake meditation (dhyāna) on Śiva—placing the contemplation at the navel, or at the throat, or at the space between the eyebrows according to the prescribed method; or else at the frontal cranial region, or at the crown of the head.

Word by Word

• नाभौ: at the navel

• वा: or

• अथ: then/also

• गले: at the throat

• वापि: even/or else

• भ्रूमध्ये: in the middle of the eyebrows

• वा: or

• यथाविधि: according to the rule/proper method

• ललाटफलिकायाम्: at the frontal cranial region (forehead/upper forehead area)

• वा: or

• मूर्ध्नि: at the crown/top of the head

• ध्यानम्: meditation, contemplative fixation

• समाचरेत्: should practice/should undertake properly

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-oriented yogic discipline to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It shifts Linga-worship from only an external rite to an inner upāsanā: the devotee installs the awareness of Pati (Śiva) within the body by fixing dhyāna at key centers, making worship continuous rather than occasional.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva-tattva is presented as inwardly accessible and all-pervading—realized through disciplined contemplation rather than merely conceptual belief—freeing the paśu (individual soul) from pāśa (bondage) by steady inner fixation on Pati.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A dhāraṇā-based dhyāna practice aligned with Pāśupata-oriented yoga: concentrating awareness at prescribed bodily loci (navel, throat, brow-center, forehead region, or crown) as a method of Śiva-realization.