Shloka 12

शिवध्यानपूजनवर्णनम्

Description of Śiva Meditation and Worship

Devanagari script

प्रणवं गुं गुरुभ्योन्ते नमः प्रोच्यापि देशिकम् । समावाह्य ततो ध्यायेद्दक्षिणाभिमुखं स्थितम्

Transliteration

praṇavaṃ guṃ gurubhyonte namaḥ procyāpi deśikam | samāvāhya tato dhyāyeddakṣiṇābhimukhaṃ sthitam

Translation

പ്രണവം “ഓം”യും “ഗും”യും ഉച്ചരിച്ച്, അവസാനം ഗുരുക്കന്മാർക്ക് അർപ്പണമായി “നമഃ” എന്നു പറയും. തുടർന്ന് ദേശികനെ (ആചാര്യനെ) ആവാഹനം ചെയ്ത് ദക്ഷിണാഭിമുഖമായി ആസീനനായതായി ധ്യാനിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• प्रणवम्: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• गुम्: ‘guṃ’ (seed syllable)
• गुम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/mantric utterance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गुं (अव्यय/बीजाक्षर)
• Form: अव्यय; मन्त्रबीज (bīja-syllable)

• गुरुभ्यः: to the gurus
• गुरुभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/to)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), बहुवचन

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time-place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (locative adverb); ‘अन्ते’ = at the end

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/utterance)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle); नमस्कारार्थे

• प्रोच्य: having recited
• प्रोच्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/त्वान्त); ‘having uttered’

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also)

• देशिकम्: the teacher (deśika)
• देशिकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• समावाह्य: having invoked
• समावाह्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+वह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/त्वान्त); ‘having invoked/brought in’

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तर (then/thereafter)

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• दक्षिण-अभिमुखम्: facing south
• दक्षिण-अभिमुखम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/of deśikam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः = ‘दक्षिणं अभिमुखम्’

• स्थितम्: situated/standing
• स्थितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/of deśikam)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘standing/placed’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva ritual and meditative procedure as taught in the Kailasa Samhita tradition)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ guṃ … namaḥ (gurubhyaḥ)

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Deshika

FAQs

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

The verse places the guru (deśika) at the gateway of Shaiva sādhanā: by Praṇava-led mantra and reverence, the seeker invokes the living channel of Śiva’s grace, without which mantra and meditation do not mature into liberation.

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

In Shaiva Siddhanta, Saguna worship (such as Liṅga-pūjā) is empowered through proper initiation and guidance; this verse emphasizes invoking and meditating on the teacher first, so the subsequent worship becomes aligned with Śiva-tattva and scriptural method.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It prescribes a preliminary mantra sequence (Oṁ + “guṃ” + “namaḥ”) to honor the lineage, followed by āvāhana (invocation) of the deśika and dhyāna of the guru seated facing south, as a formal opening to Shaiva practice.