Shloka 73

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

कृत्वाङ्गन्यासमेवं हि मुखानि परिकल्पयेत् पूर्वादि चोर्ध्वपर्यन्तं नकारादि यथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

kṛtvāṅganyāsamevaṃ hi mukhāni parikalpayet pūrvādi cordhvaparyantaṃ nakārādi yathākramam

Translation

આ રીતે અંગન્યાસ કરીને પછી દિવ્ય મુખોની કલ્પના કરવી—પૂર્વ દિશાથી આરંભ કરીને ઊર્ધ્વ (શિખર) સુધી—‘ન’કારાદિ અક્ષરોને ક્રમશઃ નિયોજિત કરીને।

Word by Word

• कृत्वा (kṛtvā): having done

• अङ्गन्यासम् (aṅga-nyāsam): placement/installation of mantra on the limbs (ritual nyāsa)

• एवम् (evam): thus

• हि (hi): indeed

• मुखानि (mukhāni): faces/aspects (of the deity, directionally conceived)

• परिकल्पयेत् (parikalpayet): one should imagine/assign/ritually arrange

• पूर्वादि (pūrvādi): beginning with the east and other directions

• च (ca): and

• ऊर्ध्वपर्यन्तम् (ūrdhva-paryantam): up to the upper direction/zenith

• नकारादि (nakārādi): beginning with ‘na’ (the ‘na’ syllable and onward)

• यथाक्रमम् (yathākramam): in proper sequence

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Puja-vidhi to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It instructs that after aṅga-nyāsa, the worshipper should perform a structured visualization/assignment of Shiva’s directional faces, aligning the rite with mantra-order (nakārādi), thereby making the Linga-puja an ‘installed’ presence rather than a mere external offering.

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

Shiva is approached as Pati who pervades all directions and transcends them (reaching ‘ūrdhva’), and is accessed through mantra-śakti—His aspects are ritually ‘conceived’ so the bound soul (paśu) can orient mind and prāṇa toward the all-pervading Lord.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Aṅga-nyāsa followed by dik/ūrdhva-vinyāsa (directional arrangement of faces/aspects) keyed to a mantra-syllable sequence (nakārādi), a practice that supports Pashupata-style inner purification and focused worship.