Shloka 18

Vāyu-jaya (Prāṇa-vijaya) and Yogic Mastery over Time — वायुजय (प्राणविजय) तथा कालजय

Devanagari script

नेत्रे करशाखाभिः किंचित्संपीड्य यत्नतो योगी । तारं पश्यन्ध्यायेन्मुहूर्तमर्द्धं तमेकभावोऽपि

Transliteration

netre karaśākhābhiḥ kiṃcitsaṃpīḍya yatnato yogī | tāraṃ paśyandhyāyenmuhūrtamarddhaṃ tamekabhāvo'pi

Translation

Gently pressing the eyes a little with the joints of the fingers, the yogin—careful and intent—should gaze upon the inner ‘tāra’ and meditate for half a muhūrta; even so, he becomes of one single state, one-pointed in that Reality.

Word by Word

• नेत्रे: the two eyes
• नेत्रे: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/Accusative), द्विवचन (dual)

• कर-शाखाभिः: with the fingers (branches of the hand)
• कर-शाखाभिः: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + शाखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: करस्य शाखा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), बहुवचन (plural)

• किञ्चित्: slightly
• किञ्चित्: क्रियाविशेषण (degree)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किञ्चित् (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाणवाचक अव्यय: slightly

• संपीड्य: having pressed
• संपीड्य: पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√पीड् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्यय; धातु: √पीड् (to press) with उपसर्ग सम्

• यत्नतः: carefully, with effort
• यत्नतः: क्रियाविशेषण (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablative-form adverb): with effort/carefully

• योगी: the yogi
• योगी: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तारम्: the star (luminous point)
• तारम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पश्यन्: seeing
• पश्यन्: कर्ता-विशेषण (qualifier of yogī)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; धातु: √दृश् (to see)

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: क्रिया (मुख्यक्रिया/Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √ध्यै (to meditate)

• मुहूर्त-अर्धम्: for half a muhūrta
• मुहूर्त-अर्धम्: काल (duration accusative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: मुहूर्तस्य अर्धम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कालपरिमाण (duration)

• तम्: him/that (object of meditation)
• तम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एक-भावः: one-pointed (in mind)
• एक-भावः: कर्ता-विशेषण (predicate noun/adjective to yogī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष: एकः भावः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: one-pointed state

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle): also/even

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching Umā/Parvatī in the Umāsaṃhitā context of yoga and inner realization)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: The ‘tāra’ (inner guiding nāda/jyotis) is treated as an inward pilgrimage-marker: steadiness for a fixed duration (half-muhūrta) yields ekāgratā, a prerequisite for Śiva-anugraha.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Implied) praṇava ‘Oṃ’ as tāra/nāda-bindu; no full mantra is quoted in the verse.

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

It teaches ekāgratā (one-pointedness) through disciplined inner practice: by turning awareness inward to the subtle ‘tāra’ (inner light/sound), the yogin’s mind becomes unified, preparing the soul (paśu) to loosen the bonds (pāśa) and rest in the Lord (Pati).

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

Outer worship of the Liṅga (saguna upāsanā) steadies devotion and purity; this verse points to the complementary inner worship where Shiva is realized as the indwelling consciousness and subtle nāda—moving from form-supported devotion to inward absorption without denying saguna practice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A focused dhyāna practice: gently closing/pressing the eyes with the fingers and meditating on the inner ‘tāra’ for about half a muhūrta, cultivating steady attention (ekabhāva).