Shloka 97
भस्म-प्रकार-त्रिपुण्ड्र-धारण-विधिः
Types of Bhasma and the Method of Wearing Tripuṇḍra
द्वात्रिंशत्स्थानके वार्द्धषोडशस्थानकेपि च । अष्टस्थाने तथा चैव पंचस्थानेपि नान्यसेत्
dvātriṃśatsthānake vārddhaṣoḍaśasthānakepi ca | aṣṭasthāne tathā caiva paṃcasthānepi nānyaset
Sama ada amalan disusun dalam tiga puluh dua stesen, dalam kaedah enam belas stesen yang diperluas, atau juga dalam kaedah lapan atau lima stesen, janganlah menyelitkan apa-apa yang lain di antaranya—agar penempatan dan disiplin Śaiva tetap tidak terganggu.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Shiva Purana’s Vidyeśvarasaṃhitā teachings to the sages)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Role: teaching
FAQs
It emphasizes ekāgratā (one-pointedness) and fidelity to Śiva’s mantra-method: spiritual power arises when the practitioner preserves the intended Śaiva sequence without mixing unrelated insertions.
Linga/Saguṇa-Śiva worship relies on precise upacāra and mantra-krama; the verse instructs that even when different standard station-counts are used (32/16/8/5), the Śaiva arrangement should remain pure and uninterrupted.
Maintain a consistent nyāsa/japa framework (five-, eight-, sixteen-, or thirty-two-station) without adding other mantras mid-sequence—supporting steady Panchākṣarī japa and Śiva-centered meditation.