Shloka 61

न्यासवर्णनम् (Nyāsa-varṇanam) — Description of Nyāsa in the Saṃnyāsa Procedure

Devanagari script

प्रणवस्य ऋषिर्ब्रह्मा देवि गायत्रमीरितम् । छन्दोत्र देवताहं वै परमात्मा सदाशिवः

Transliteration

praṇavasya ṛṣirbrahmā devi gāyatramīritam | chandotra devatāhaṃ vai paramātmā sadāśivaḥ

Translation

O Goddess, for the Pranava (Oṃ) the seer is Brahmā; its metre is declared to be Gāyatrī. And here, the presiding deity is verily I—Sadāśiva, the Supreme Self.

Word by Word

• प्रणवस्य: of the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• ऋषिः: seer (ṛṣi)
• ऋषिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• गायत्रम्: the Gāyatrī (meter/mantra)
• गायत्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• ईरितम्: is declared/said
• ईरितम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईर् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• छन्दः: meter (chandas)
• छन्दः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उत्र: here/also (particle)
• उत्र: Avyaya (अव्यय/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; emphatic/continuative, used in some recensions for 'here/there/also')

• देवता: presiding deity
• देवता: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (अव्यय/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle/निश्चयार्थक)

• परमात्मा: the Supreme Self
• परमात्मा: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (परमः आत्मा)

• सदाशिवः: Sadāśiva
• सदाशिवः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सदा शिवः)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Sadashiva) addressing Parvati

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: Oṃ (praṇava)

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati
• Brahma

FAQs

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

The verse identifies Oṃ as a fully constituted mantra (with ṛṣi, chandas, and devatā) and declares Sadāśiva as its presiding reality—teaching that Pranava meditation culminates in realizing Shiva as the Supreme Self (Pati), the liberator of the bound soul (paśu).

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

In Shaiva Siddhanta, the Linga is the sacred emblem through which the formless (Niṣkala/Nirguṇa) Sadāśiva is approached in a worshipful form (Sakala/Saguṇa). By naming Sadāśiva as the devatā of Oṃ, the text links inner japa and contemplation of Pranava with outer Linga-upāsanā as two complementary modes of the same Shiva-worship.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform Pranava japa (Oṃ) with focused awareness that its devatā is Sadāśiva, ideally alongside Shaiva disciplines such as Linga-pūjā, Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) application, and Rudrākṣa wearing—using the mantra as a yogic support for steadiness and liberation-oriented contemplation.