Shloka 16
Kṣaura-Snāna-Vidhi — Rite of Tonsure/Shaving and Purificatory Bath (Śaiva Procedure)
प्रणवेनाथ षोडश प्राणानायम्य वाग्यतः । पुनरन्यां स्वोरुदेशे त्रिधा विन्यस्य चोमिति
praṇavenātha ṣoḍaśa prāṇānāyamya vāgyataḥ | punaranyāṃ svorudeśe tridhā vinyasya comiti
Then, restraining the sixteen vital currents by the Pranava (Oṁ) and keeping speech controlled, one should again place the mantric power upon one’s own thigh-region in three divisions, and thereafter utter “Oṁ.”
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Significance: Praṇava-linked prāṇāyāma and implied nyāsa cultivate mantra-śakti and inner steadiness, preparing the paśu for Śiva’s grace through correct installation of sacred power.
Mantra: oṃ (praṇava)
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents a Shaiva yogic discipline where prāṇa-restraint and mantra (Oṁ) are joined with controlled speech and nyāsa, indicating that inner purification and focused installation of mantra lead the seeker toward Shiva-realization (Pati) beyond bondage (pāśa).
Even when external Linga worship is practiced, the Purana emphasizes internalization: by pranava-japa, prāṇa-samyama, and nyāsa, the devotee installs Shiva-consciousness within the body, making the worship both saguna (mantra and ritual) and a gateway to the nirguna truth.
Pranava-based prāṇāyāma (restraining the vital currents), maintaining silence/controlled speech, performing threefold nyāsa on the body (here, the thigh-region), and then uttering/japa of “Oṁ.”