Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 5
योगप्रकारनिर्णयः
Classification and Definition of Yoga
उपमन्युरुवाच । स्थाने पृष्टं त्वया कृष्ण सर्वप्रश्नार्थवेदिना । ततः क्रमेण तत्सर्वं वक्ष्ये शृणु समाहितः
upamanyuruvāca | sthāne pṛṣṭaṃ tvayā kṛṣṇa sarvapraśnārthavedinā | tataḥ krameṇa tatsarvaṃ vakṣye śṛṇu samāhitaḥ
Upamanyu dit : «Ô Kṛṣṇa, tu as interrogé à propos, toi qui saisis le sens véritable de toute question. Aussi vais-je tout exposer dans l’ordre convenable ; écoute avec l’esprit recueilli.»
Upamanyu
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Significance: Models the guru–śiṣya etiquette that itself is a ‘tīrtha’ of learning: right questioning and attentive listening are treated as prerequisites for Śiva-yoga.
Role: teaching
FAQs
The verse emphasizes the Shaiva path of right inquiry and disciplined listening: when questions are asked with clarity of purpose, the teaching can be given in proper sequence, and the seeker must receive it with a steady, collected mind (samāhita), which is foundational for inner purification and realization of Pati (Shiva).
Although the verse does not name the Liṅga directly, it establishes the method by which Saguna Shiva worship and Shaiva doctrine are transmitted—through orderly instruction from a knower to a fit listener. Such attentive reception is the prerequisite for understanding the meaning of Liṅga worship beyond mere outer ritual, moving toward devotion and knowledge aligned with Shiva.
The implied practice is meditative receptivity: sit with a composed mind (samāhita) and listen/recite teachings in sequence (krama). As a practical takeaway, one may begin japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” after settling the mind, then study the teaching without distraction.