Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 50
शुद्धामेव शिशोर्मूर्ध्नि न्यसेच्छान्तिमुखे तथा । विद्यां गलादिनाभ्यंतं प्रतिष्ठां तदधः क्रमात्
śuddhāmeva śiśormūrdhni nyasecchāntimukhe tathā | vidyāṃ galādinābhyaṃtaṃ pratiṣṭhāṃ tadadhaḥ kramāt
ಅವನು ಶಿಶುವಿನ ಶಿರಸ್ಸಿನ ಮೇಲೆ ‘ಶುದ್ಧಾ’ಯನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಲಿ; ಮುಖದ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ‘ಶಾಂತಿ’ಯನ್ನು. ಕಂಠದಿಂದ ನಾಭಿವರೆಗೆ ‘ವಿದ್ಯಾ’ಯನ್ನು, ಅದರ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ‘ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾ’ಯನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸಲಿ.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
FAQs
The verse teaches a Shaiva nyāsa pattern: purity (Śuddhā), peace (Śānti), knowledge (Vidyā), and stable establishment (Pratiṣṭhā) are invoked in the body in a graded manner, aligning the devotee’s embodied life with Shiva’s purifying grace (Pati) so the bound soul (paśu) becomes fit for liberation.
Nyāsa is a preparatory act before Saguna Shiva worship (including Liṅga-pūjā): the body is consecrated as a vessel of mantra and śakti, so the external offering to the Liṅga is matched by an inner installation of Shiva’s auspicious qualities.
A sequential nyāsa/anga-vinyāsa: mentally (or with mantra) install Śuddhā on the crown, Śānti on the face, Vidyā from throat to navel, and Pratiṣṭhā below—used as a centering practice before japa (e.g., Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and Shiva worship.