भस्म-प्रकार-त्रिपुण्ड्र-धारण-विधिः
Types of Bhasma and the Method of Wearing Tripuṇḍra
जानुद्वये च पदयोः पृष्ठभागे च षोडश । शिवश्चन्द्र श्च रुद्र ः को विघ्नेशो विष्णुरेव वा
jānudvaye ca padayoḥ pṛṣṭhabhāge ca ṣoḍaśa | śivaścandra śca rudra ḥ ko vighneśo viṣṇureva vā
На обоих коленях, на стопах и на задней стороне тела — шестнадцать (знаков/мест). Их следует созерцать как Шиву, Луну, Рудру, «Ка» (Брахму), Вигхнешy (Ганешу) или же Вишну.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana teaching to the sages, inferred from Purana dialogue convention)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Rudra
It teaches a contemplative mapping where bodily locations are sanctified by identifying them with divine powers, culminating in a Shaiva understanding that all functional deities operate within the supreme sovereignty of Śiva (Pati).
Such identifications support Saguna-upāsanā: the devotee mentally installs divine presences while worshipping Śiva (often through the Liṅga), seeing other deities as Śiva’s śaktis/ministries rather than competing absolutes.
A brief nyāsa-like visualization: mentally placing/remembering Śiva and allied deities in specific body-points during japa or pūjā, ideally alongside Panchākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and other Shaiva observances.