Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 5
अग्निकार्य-होमविधिः
Agnikārya and Homa Procedure
वितस्तिद्विगुणोन्नत्या नाभिमन्तः प्रचक्षते । मध्यं च मध्यमांगुल्या मध्यमोत्तमपर्वणोः
vitastidviguṇonnatyā nābhimantaḥ pracakṣate | madhyaṃ ca madhyamāṃgulyā madhyamottamaparvaṇoḥ
നാഭിമണ്ഡലത്തിന്റെ പ്രദേശം രണ്ട് വിതസ്തി ഉയരം വരെ വ്യാപിക്കുന്നുവെന്ന് അവർ പറയുന്നു. ‘മധ്യം’ എന്നു പറയുന്നത് നടുവിരലിലെ മദ്ധ്യപർവ്വവും മേൽപർവ്വവും ചേരുന്ന സന്ധിസ്ഥലത്താണ്.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teachings to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
FAQs
It frames the body as a disciplined field for sādhana—precise measures and ‘central points’ support steadiness in worship and yoga, helping the bound soul (paśu) turn toward the Lord (Pati) through ordered practice.
Such measurement language commonly underlies ritual exactness—how one marks, places, and attends to sacred centers—so outer worship of Saguna Shiva (like Liṅga-pūjā) becomes aligned with inner focus and reverence.
A practical takeaway is careful bodily alignment and attention to central points while doing japa (e.g., the Pañcākṣarī) or dhyāna, using traditional measures as aids for steadiness rather than as ends in themselves.