Shloka 48

अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना

Devanagari script

पिपीलिकागतिस्पर्शा प्रयुक्ता मूर्ध्नि लक्ष्यते यथा प्रयुक्त ओङ्कारः प्रतिनिर्याति मूर्धनि

Transliteration

pipīlikāgatisparśā prayuktā mūrdhni lakṣyate yathā prayukta oṅkāraḥ pratiniryāti mūrdhani

Translation

Lorsqu’on l’applique correctement, on perçoit au sommet de la tête une sensation semblable au frôlement de la marche d’une fourmi ; de même, lorsque l’Oṁkāra sacré est énoncé comme il se doit, il remonte et jaillit au sommet du crâne—signe de l’ascension du prāṇa vers Śiva, le Pati.

Word by Word

• pipīlikā: ant

• gati: movement

• sparśā: touch/sensation

• prayuktā: properly applied/engaged

• mūrdhni: at the crown of the head

• lakṣyate: is perceived/observed

• yathā: just as

• prayuktaḥ: properly employed/uttered

• oṅkāraḥ: the syllable Oṁ (Praṇava)

• pratiniryāti: goes forth/returns upward/emanates

• mūrdhani: at the crown (brahmarandhra)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It links Linga-upāsanā with inner worship: correct japa of Praṇava produces a yogic sign at the brahmarandhra, indicating the devotee’s consciousness turning upward to Śiva (Pati) rather than remaining bound as paśu under pāśa.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva-tattva is implied as the supreme locus toward which prāṇa and awareness ascend; the crown-emergence of Oṁ symbolizes movement from bondage (pāśa) to the Lord (Pati), where liberation is consummated.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Praṇava (Oṁ) uccāraṇa/japa with disciplined prāṇa-direction—an inner Pāśupata-yogic method where the practitioner observes subtle sensations at the crown as a marker of upward prāṇa (ūrdhva-gati).