Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 3
न्यासत्रैविध्य-भूतशुद्धि-प्रक्रिया
Threefold Nyāsa and the Procedure of Elemental Purification
कन्यायाः पुनरुत्पत्तिं वक्ष्ये न्यासस्य लक्षणम् । अंगुष्ठादिकनिष्ठांतं स्थितिन्यास उदाहृतः । दक्षिणांगुष्ठमारभ्य वामांगुष्ठान्तमेव च । उत्पत्तिन्यास आख्यातो विपरीतस्तु संहृतिः
kanyāyāḥ punarutpattiṃ vakṣye nyāsasya lakṣaṇam | aṃguṣṭhādikaniṣṭhāṃtaṃ sthitinyāsa udāhṛtaḥ | dakṣiṇāṃguṣṭhamārabhya vāmāṃguṣṭhāntameva ca | utpattinyāsa ākhyāto viparītastu saṃhṛtiḥ
Now I shall explain the defining method of nyāsa for the re-manifestation of the Kanyā (Śakti). The placement that proceeds from the thumb and ends at the little finger is called the nyāsa of maintenance (sthiti). Beginning from the right thumb and ending at the left thumb is declared to be the nyāsa of origination (utpatti); and the reverse order is the nyāsa of dissolution (saṃhṛti).
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: creative
FAQs
It teaches that nyāsa is not mere hand-gesture ritualism but an inner alignment with the cosmic functions—origination, maintenance, and dissolution—so the sādhaka experiences Śiva-Śakti as present in the body-temple and moves toward purification and liberation.
Nyāsa prepares the worshipper to approach Saguna Śiva (including Liṅga-pūjā) by installing mantra-śakti in the limbs; the body becomes fit for offering, and the Liṅga is worshipped as the stable center while creation–maintenance–dissolution are contemplated as Śiva’s powers.
It points to kara-nyāsa (hand-nyāsa): placing mantra-energy in a defined sequence—thumb to little finger for sthiti, right thumb to left thumb for utpatti, and the reverse for saṃhṛti—performed with focused awareness before japa or pūjā.