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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 56

योगप्रकारनिर्णयः

Classification and Definition of Yoga

इत्येतद्द्विविधं ज्ञेयं ध्यानस्यास्य प्रयोजनम् । ध्याता ध्यानं तथा ध्येयं यच्च ध्यानप्रयोजनम्

ityetaddvividhaṃ jñeyaṃ dhyānasyāsya prayojanam | dhyātā dhyānaṃ tathā dhyeyaṃ yacca dhyānaprayojanam

Ainsi, le but de cette méditation doit être compris comme double : (1) la triade—le méditant, la méditation et l’objet de méditation—; et (2) la fin suprême pour laquelle la méditation est entreprise.

इतिthus
इति:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; इत्यर्थक/उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक (quotative)
एतत्this
एतत्:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootएतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अत्र प्रथमा)
द्विविधम्twofold
द्विविधम्:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootद्वि (संख्या) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (एतत्)
ज्ञेयम्to be known
ज्ञेयम्:
Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञेय (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा धातु)
Formभाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (Gerundive/Future Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय ‘is to be known’
ध्यानस्यof meditation
ध्यानस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
अस्यof this
अस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootइदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; (ध्यानस्य विशेषणार्थे)
प्रयोजनम्purpose
प्रयोजनम्:
Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
ध्याताmeditator
ध्याता:
Karta (कर्ता/Agent)
TypeNoun
Rootध्यातृ (प्रातिपदिक; √ध्यै धातु)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
ध्यानम्meditation
ध्यानम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अत्र द्वितीया—सूचीकरणे)
तथाalso
तथा:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतार्थक (also/likewise)
ध्येयम्object to be meditated upon
ध्येयम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootध्येय (कृदन्त; √ध्यै धातु)
Formभाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (Gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अत्र द्वितीया—सूचीकरणे)
यत्which/that
यत्:
Karta/Karma (contextual)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (यच्च = यत् + च)
and
:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)
ध्यान-प्रयोजनम्the purpose of meditation
ध्यान-प्रयोजनम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootध्यान (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ध्यानस्य प्रयोजनम्)

Suta Goswami

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthāla) passage; it is a yogic/gnostic framing of dhyāna, so no Jyotirliṅga origin narrative is invoked here.

Significance: General: establishes the inner-tīrtha (antar-yātrā) where the paśu turns inward from pāśa toward Pati through disciplined contemplation.

S
Shiva

FAQs

It clarifies that meditation has both a structural aspect (the meditator, the meditative method, and Shiva as the intended object) and a liberating aim—culminating in the highest fruit of dhyana, i.e., inner clarity and freedom from bondage in alignment with Pati (Shiva).

The “object of meditation” (dhyeya) can be Saguna Shiva—such as the Linga-form—used to steady the mind; through sustained dhyana, the practitioner moves from form-based focus toward the ultimate purpose of realizing Shiva as the supreme Lord (Pati) beyond limitation.

Adopt a clear dhyana framework: establish yourself as the dhyātā, use mantra-japa (such as the Panchakshara) as dhyāna, and fix the dhyeya as Shiva (often the Linga), keeping the final aim as liberation-oriented devotion rather than mere technique.