Shloka 77

शिवध्यानपूजनवर्णनम्

Description of Śiva Meditation and Worship

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मभिश्च षडंगैश्च ततो मातृकया सह । प्रणवेन शिवेनैव शक्तियुक्तेन च क्रमात्

Transliteration

brahmabhiśca ṣaḍaṃgaiśca tato mātṛkayā saha | praṇavena śivenaiva śaktiyuktena ca kramāt

Translation

Then, in proper sequence, one should perform the consecrating nyāsa with the Brahma-mantras and the six auxiliaries (ṣaḍaṅga); thereafter with the Mātṛkā, the matrix of letters; and then with Praṇava (Oṁ) and with Śiva—always conjoined with Śakti—step by step.

Word by Word

• brahmabhiḥ: with the Brahma(-mantras)/Brahmas
• brahmabhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग in some usages), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; करण (instrumental)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• ṣaḍ-aṃgaiḥ: with the six limbs (ṣaḍaṅgas)
• ṣaḍ-aṃgaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमास (six-limbed)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• tataḥ: then/thereafter
• tataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), क्रम/अनन्तरार्थे = then/thereafter

• mātṛkayā: with the Mātṛkā (matrix of letters)
• mātṛkayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahārtha (सहार्थ/association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-शब्दः (postposition/indeclinable), सह = with

• praṇavena: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇavena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• śivena: with Śiva
• śivena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• śakti-yuktena: with (that which is) endowed with Śakti
• śakti-yuktena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त; √yuj/युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (endowed with power)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• kramāt: in sequence, step by step
• kramāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (ablatival adverb), अर्थः = in order/step by step

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s prescribed worship-method to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: praṇava (oṃ) + śiva-mantra, always śakti-yukta; brahma-mantras with ṣaḍaṅga; mātṛkā-nyāsa

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Shakti

FAQs

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

It teaches that liberation-oriented Śaiva worship is not random but a sanctifying inner order: the body-mind is made a fit vessel through nyāsa using mantras, culminating in Śiva united with Śakti—the complete reality of Pati.

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

Nyāsa prepares the devotee to approach Saguna Śiva (such as the Liṅga) with purified faculties; the mantra-sequence internalizes the deity so external worship becomes an extension of inner Śiva-consciousness.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa and Mātṛkā-nyāsa, followed by japa/meditation on Praṇava (Oṁ) and the Śiva-mantra understood as Śakti-yukta—Śiva inseparable from His power.