Shloka 27
Pañcatattva-Pūjā: The Fivefold Vyuha of Hari, Mantras, Nyāsa, Maṇḍala, and Stotra
अधो नाग तदूद्ध्व तु ब्रह्माणं पूजयेत्सुधीः / इति स्थानक्रमो ज्ञेयो मण्डले शङ्कर त्वया
adho nāga tadūddhva tu brahmāṇaṃ pūjayetsudhīḥ / iti sthānakramo jñeyo maṇḍale śaṅkara tvayā
താഴെ നാഗത്തെ സ്ഥാപിച്ച്, അതിന്റെ മുകളിൽ ജ്ഞാനി ബ്രഹ്മദേവനെ പൂജിക്കണം. ഹേ ശങ്കരാ, മണ്ഡലത്തിലെ സ്ഥാനക്രമം ഇങ്ങനെ അറിയേണ്ടതാണ്.
Instructional narration (addressing Śaṅkara); speaker not explicitly identifiable from this single verse alone
Concept: Ritual order (sthāna-krama) as a means to align worship with cosmic structure.
Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-upāsanā through ordered symbolism; the many as placements within the One sacred field.
Application: In pūjā/yantra/maṇḍala work, place deities in prescribed vertical sequence to avoid doṣa and to stabilize attention.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: ritual_space
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.32.28-31 (āvāhana, nyāsa, mudrā, upacāra, stotra)
FAQs
This verse stresses that worship is not only about devotion but also correct ritual geometry: the Nāga is placed below and Brahmā above, establishing an ordered sacred layout (sthāna-krama) for the maṇḍala.
This specific verse is not about the soul’s journey; it focuses on ritual procedure—how to arrange and worship deities within a maṇḍala.
When performing traditional pūjā with a maṇḍala or yantra-like layout, follow a consistent, text-based placement order rather than improvising—maintaining ritual clarity, focus, and continuity of practice.