Shiva Purana — Kailasa Samhita, Shloka 11
प्रणवार्थ-शिवतत्त्व-निर्णयः
The Determination of Śiva as the Meaning of Praṇava
यो वै मुमुक्षुभिर्ध्येयः शम्भुराकाशमध्यगः । सर्वव्यापी प्रकाशात्मा भासरूपो हि चिन्मयः
yo vai mumukṣubhirdhyeyaḥ śambhurākāśamadhyagaḥ | sarvavyāpī prakāśātmā bhāsarūpo hi cinmayaḥ
मुमुक्षुओं द्वारा ध्यान करने योग्य शम्भु, आकाश के मध्य में स्थित हैं। वे सर्वव्यापी, प्रकाश-स्वरूप आत्मा हैं; निश्चय ही उनका रूप तेज है, क्योंकि वे शुद्ध चैतन्य-स्वभाव हैं।
Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasa Samhita teaching to the sages, summarizing the object of Śiva-meditation)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: liberating
FAQs
It defines the mokṣa-oriented meditation object: Śambhu is not limited to a place or body, but is the all-pervading Conscious Light (cit-prakāśa). Liberation is approached by recognizing and contemplating Śiva as the inner, luminous reality that pervades all.
The Liṅga is a saguna support for dhyāna that points to Śiva’s nirguṇa truth described here—form as radiance and consciousness. Worship begins with a visible emblem (Liṅga) and matures into contemplation of the all-pervading Śiva-tattva.
A dhyāna practice: meditate on Śambhu as luminous awareness pervading ākāśa and all beings; support it with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and, where traditional, Tripuṇḍra-bhasma and Rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness and Śiva-smaraṇa.