Shloka 32

गजाननपूजा तथा औपासन-होमविधिः

Worship of Gajānana and the Procedure of Aupāsana-Homa

Devanagari script

काकाक्षिन्यायमाश्रित्य वर्त्तते पार्श्वतोन्वहम् । विद्यातत्त्वमिदं प्रोक्तं शुद्धविद्यामहेश्वरौ

Transliteration

kākākṣinyāyamāśritya varttate pārśvatonvaham | vidyātattvamidaṃ proktaṃ śuddhavidyāmaheśvarau

Translation

Relying on the maxim of the crow’s eye, it moves continually from side to side. This principle is declared to be the truth of spiritual knowledge—pure Knowledge itself—Maheśvara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• काक-अक्षि-न्यायम्: the ‘crow’s-eye’ maxim
• काक-अक्षि-न्यायम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि (प्रातिपदिक) + न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha): काकाक्षेः न्यायः (kākākṣi-nyāya); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आश्रित्य: having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रि (धातु) + आ (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund): आश्रित्य = ‘having resorted to’

• वर्तते: exists/continues/operates
• वर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• पार्श्वतः: sideways/from the side
• पार्श्वतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (adverbial: from the side/sideways)

• अन्वहम्: day after day/continually
• अन्वहम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्वहम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time: day by day/continually)

• विद्या-तत्त्वम्: the principle of vidyā
• विद्या-तत्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha): विद्यायाः तत्त्वम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: is declared/has been stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त): प्रोक्तम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुद्ध-विद्या-महेश्वरौ: Śuddhavidyā and Maheśvara (the two)
• शुद्ध-विद्या-महेश्वरौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (Dvandva): शुद्धविद्या च महेश्वरश्च; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a jyotirliṅga account; it uses the ‘kākākṣi-nyāya’ (crow’s-eye maxim) to describe oscillation between alternatives, then identifies the culminating principle as śuddha-vidyā/ Maheśvara—pure knowing that grants liberation.

Significance: Points to Maheśvara as Śuddhavidyā: the pilgrim-seeker is urged to move from vacillating cognition to stabilizing knowledge through Śiva’s teaching and grace.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Shift from vacillating, duality-tending cognition (crow’s-eye) to śuddhavidyā—Śiva’s revealing power (anugraha) that overcomes tirodhāna.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It points to the mind’s habitual oscillation—like a crow’s eye shifting side to side—and teaches that liberation comes through recognizing pure Knowledge as Maheśvara (Śiva), the steady reality behind changing attention.

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

Linga-worship steadies the fluctuating gaze and mind on one sacred center; through Saguna devotion the seeker is led to realize Śiva as Śuddha Vidyā—pure, liberating consciousness beyond distraction.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice one-pointed dhyāna on Śiva (Linga or mantra), reducing side-to-side mental wandering; japa of the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” is a direct, practical support for stabilizing awareness.