Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 51

Maṇḍala–Pūjā–Homa Krama

Maṇḍala Worship and Homa Sequence for the Disciple

Devanagari script

जान्वंतं तदधो न्यस्येन्निवृत्तिं चानुचिंतयेत् । स्वबीजैस्सूत्रमंत्रं च न्यस्यां गैस्तं शिवात्मकम्

Transliteration

jānvaṃtaṃ tadadho nyasyennivṛttiṃ cānuciṃtayet | svabījaissūtramaṃtraṃ ca nyasyāṃ gaistaṃ śivātmakam

Translation

（真言を）膝に、さらにその下にも安置し、退転の理「ニヴリッティ（Nivṛtti）」を観想すべきである。各々の種子音（ビージャ）をもって、ニヤーサにより四肢にスートラ・マントラを安置し、その一切の安置がまさにシヴァの自性であると悟るべきである。

Word by Word

• जान्वन्तम्: the knee(-region)
• जान्वन्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जान्वन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular masculine

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun (that)

• अधः: below
• अधः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• न्यस्येत्: should place (nyāsa)
• न्यस्येत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; should place/assign

• निवृत्तिम्: Nivṛtti (name of śakti/phase)
• निवृत्तिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; accusative singular feminine

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अनुचिन्तयेत्: should contemplate
• अनुचिन्तयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; with उपसर्ग अनु-; should contemplate

• स्वबीजैः: with (their) own seed-syllables
• स्वबीजैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; instrumental plural; tatpuruṣa ‘own-seed(mantra)s’

• सूत्रमन्त्रम्: the sūtra(-mantra) and mantra
• सूत्रमन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्र + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; dvandva (itaretara) ‘sūtra and mantra’ treated as one; accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• न्यस्यात्: should place (nyāsa)
• न्यस्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: न्यस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; should place/assign

• अङ्गैः: with the limbs (aṅga-nyāsa parts)
• अङ्गैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; instrumental plural

• तम्: him/that (deity/mantra)
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun ‘him/that’

• शिवात्मकम्: Śiva-natured
• शिवात्मकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘tam’; tatpuruṣa ‘of the nature of Śiva’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya teachings to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Not quoted explicitly) sūtra-mantra with svabīja-s (seed syllables) installed by aṅga-nyāsa; contemplation of Nivṛtti-tattva

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Durgā

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that mantra-nyāsa is not merely external ritual: by placing mantra on the body and contemplating Nivṛtti (withdrawal), the sādhaka turns awareness away from pāśa (bondage) and recognizes the body-mind field as pervaded by Pati—Śiva Himself.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Nyāsa prepares the worshipper to approach Saguna Śiva (including Liṅga worship) with a sanctified body and focused mind; the verse then bridges to the higher insight that the installed mantra and the worshipped form are śivātmaka—rooted in Śiva’s own reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes aṅga-nyāsa (placing mantra on limbs such as knees and below) along with steady contemplation of Nivṛtti; practically, it is a guided internalization of mantra-power (bīja and sūtra-mantra) to support japa and meditation.