Shloka 78

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

अङ्गुष्ठतर्जन्यग्राभ्यां संस्थाप्य सुमुखं शुभम् रक्षध्वमिति चोक्त्वा तु नमस्कुर्यात्पृथक्पृथक्

Transliteration

aṅguṣṭhatarjanyagrābhyāṃ saṃsthāpya sumukhaṃ śubham rakṣadhvamiti coktvā tu namaskuryātpṛthakpṛthak

Translation

अङ्गुष्ठतर्जन्यग्राभ्यां संस्थाप्य सुमुखं शुभम्। रक्षध्वमिति चोक्त्वा तु नमस्कुर्यात्पृथक्पृथक्॥

Word by Word

• aṅguṣṭha: thumb

• tarjani: forefinger

• grābhyām: with the two (in an act of holding/placing)

• saṃsthāpya: having established/placed properly

• su-mukham: the one of auspicious/beautiful face (the invoked divine presence)

• śubham: auspicious, benedictive

• rakṣadhvam: protect (imperative, ‘do protect!’)

• iti: thus

• ca: and

• uktvā: having said

• tu: then/indeed

• namaskuryāt: one should bow/salute

• pṛthak pṛthak: separately, one by one (distinctly to each).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva-puja procedure to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It codifies a protective step in Linga-puja: establishing the invoked divine presence with a precise hand-action and sealing the rite with a direct raksha-prayer, followed by orderly salutations—expressing the Pashu’s refuge in Pati (Shiva).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva-tattva is approached here as the auspicious protector: the devotee explicitly petitions “rakṣadhvam,” acknowledging Shiva as Pati—the guardian who loosens pasha (bondage) by granting safety, steadiness, and auspiciousness to the pashu (individual soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

A puja-vidhi element akin to a mudra/nyasa-like placement is indicated (thumb–forefinger action), along with a raksha-invocation and pṛthak-pṛthak namaskara—disciplined, sequential reverence that stabilizes attention and devotion in Shaiva worship.