Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 56
योगप्रकारनिर्णयः
Classification and Definition of Yoga
इत्येतद्द्विविधं ज्ञेयं ध्यानस्यास्य प्रयोजनम् । ध्याता ध्यानं तथा ध्येयं यच्च ध्यानप्रयोजनम्
ityetaddvividhaṃ jñeyaṃ dhyānasyāsya prayojanam | dhyātā dhyānaṃ tathā dhyeyaṃ yacca dhyānaprayojanam
Assim, o propósito desta meditação deve ser entendido como duplo: (1) a tríade—o meditante, a meditação e o objeto de meditação—; e (2) o fim supremo pelo qual a meditação é empreendida.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthāla) passage; it is a yogic/gnostic framing of dhyāna, so no Jyotirliṅga origin narrative is invoked here.
Significance: General: establishes the inner-tīrtha (antar-yātrā) where the paśu turns inward from pāśa toward Pati through disciplined contemplation.
FAQs
It clarifies that meditation has both a structural aspect (the meditator, the meditative method, and Shiva as the intended object) and a liberating aim—culminating in the highest fruit of dhyana, i.e., inner clarity and freedom from bondage in alignment with Pati (Shiva).
The “object of meditation” (dhyeya) can be Saguna Shiva—such as the Linga-form—used to steady the mind; through sustained dhyana, the practitioner moves from form-based focus toward the ultimate purpose of realizing Shiva as the supreme Lord (Pati) beyond limitation.
Adopt a clear dhyana framework: establish yourself as the dhyātā, use mantra-japa (such as the Panchakshara) as dhyāna, and fix the dhyeya as Shiva (often the Linga), keeping the final aim as liberation-oriented devotion rather than mere technique.