Shloka 49

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

इन्द्रो ऽधिदैवतं छन्दो गायत्री गौतम ऋषिः मकारः कृष्णवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं वै दक्षिणामुखम्

Transliteration

indro 'dhidaivataṃ chando gāyatrī gautama ṛṣiḥ makāraḥ kṛṣṇavarṇo 'sya sthānaṃ vai dakṣiṇāmukham

Translation

For this mantric limb, Indra is the presiding deity; the metre is Gāyatrī; and the seer is Gautama. Its seed-syllable is “ma”, its hue is dark, and its placement is at the southern face—thus it is to be fixed in the worship of the Liṅga.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः (indraḥ): Indra

• अधिदैवतं (adhidaivataṃ): presiding deity

• छन्दः (chandaḥ): Vedic metre

• गायत्री (gāyatrī): the Gāyatrī metre

• गौतमः (gautamaḥ): Gautama

• ऋषिः (ṛṣiḥ): seer/sage

• मकारः (makāraḥ): the syllable/seed “ma”

• कृष्णवर्णः (kṛṣṇavarṇaḥ): dark-complexioned/dark-hued

• अस्य (asya): of this

• स्थानम् (sthānam): placement/seat

• वै (vai): indeed

• दक्षिणामुखम् (dakṣiṇāmukham): the southern face

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating traditional Linga-puja vidhi to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Gautama

FAQs

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

It gives the viniyoga-style specifications (deity, metre, seer, seed syllable, color, and directional placement) used to perform mantra-nyāsa on the Liṅga, making the worship precise and ritually efficacious.

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

By prescribing nyāsa onto a specific mukha (southern face), it implies Shiva as Pati who receives and integrates multiple devatā-powers within the Liṅga, yet remains the single sovereign reality in whom these functions are installed.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-nyāsa with chandas–ṛṣi–devatā assignment and directional mukha placement—an outer puja act that mirrors inner yogic fixation (dhāraṇā) central to Shaiva sādhanā.