Shloka 18
पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः
Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya
अकार उत्तरात्पूर्वमुकारः पश्चिमाननात् । मकारो दक्षिणमुखाद्बिंदुः प्राण्मुखतस्तथा
akāra uttarātpūrvamukāraḥ paścimānanāt | makāro dakṣiṇamukhādbiṃduḥ prāṇmukhatastathā
‘അ’ അക്ഷരം ഉത്തരദിക്കിൽ നിന്ന് കിഴക്കോട്ടു മുഖം തിരിച്ച് ധ്യാനിക്കണം; ‘ഉ’ പടിഞ്ഞാറുമുഖത്തിൽ നിന്ന്; ‘മ’ തെക്കുമുഖത്തിൽ നിന്ന്; അതുപോലെ ബിന്ദു (ഓം-ന്റെ നാസിക്യബിന്ദു) കിഴക്കുമുഖത്തിൽ നിന്ന്. ഇങ്ങനെ ലിംഗത്തിന്റെ ദിക്കുമുഖങ്ങളിൽ പ്രണവധ്യാനം ചെയ്യണം.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Vidyeshvara teachings to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Directional contemplation of Praṇava on the Liṅga’s faces accords with Kāśī’s Viśvanātha tradition where Śiva is worshipped as the cosmic Lord with all directions as His body and the Liṅga as axis mundi.
Significance: Meditating on A-U-M-bindu as per directions stabilizes mind (sthiti) and sacralizes space; Kāśī-darśana is famed for granting jñāna and mokṣa through Śiva’s grace.
Mantra: A-U-M + bindu (Oṃkāra components)
Type: gayatri
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
It teaches Praṇava-dhyāna (meditation on Oṁ) by mapping its parts (A-U-M and bindu) onto the Liṅga’s directional faces, showing that Shiva as Pati is realized through disciplined mantra-contemplation, not merely external ritual.
The Liṅga is treated as Saguna Shiva’s accessible form for worship, yet it points to Nirguna reality; contemplating Oṁ across the Liṅga’s faces integrates form-based worship with inner realization of Shiva’s all-pervading consciousness.
During Liṅga-pūjā or japa, mentally place and recite A-U-M with the bindu while visualizing the corresponding directions/faces of the Liṅga, steadying attention (dhyāna) alongside mantra (japa).