Shloka 3

Śiva-pūjā: Mantra-phonetics, Nyāsa, Maṇḍala, Dīkṣā and Homa

Supreme Worship Leading to Śiva-sāyujya

Devanagari script

षष्ठेनाधो महामन्त्रो हौमित्येवाखिलार्थदः / हस्ताभ्यां संस्पृशेत्पादावूर्ध्वं पादान्मस्तकम्

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhenādho mahāmantro haumityevākhilārthadaḥ / hastābhyāṃ saṃspṛśetpādāvūrdhvaṃ pādānmastakam

Translation

ఆరవ దశలో క్రింద భాగంలో మహామంత్రం “హౌం”—సర్వార్థప్రదం—అనుసంధానించాలి. రెండు చేతులతో పాదాలను స్పర్శించి, పాదాల నుండి మస్తకశిఖ వరకు పైకి స్పర్శిస్తూ సాగాలి.

Word by Word

• षष्ठेन: with the sixth (finger/part)
• षष्ठेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• अधः: below, downward
• अधः: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• महामन्त्रः: the great mantra
• महामन्त्रः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् मन्त्रः)

• हौम्: “haum”
• हौम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हौम् (बीजाक्षर/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; मन्त्र-बीज (mantric seed syllable)

• इति: thus
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अखिलार्थदः: giver of all aims/benefits
• अखिलार्थदः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अखिलानाम् अर्थानां दः/दाता)

• हस्ताभ्याम्: with (both) hands
• हस्ताभ्याम्: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), द्विवचन

• संस्पृशेत्: should touch
• संस्पृशेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पादौ: the two feet
• पादौ: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), द्विवचन

• ऊर्ध्वम्: upwards
• ऊर्ध्वम्: अधिकरण (Direction/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of direction)

• पादात्: from the foot/feet
• पादात्: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• मस्तकम्: the head
• मस्तकम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nyāsa as internalization of mantra—sanctifying the body and aligning it to divine purpose (purushartha-siddhi).

Vedantic Theme: Antaryāmin-bhāva (the Divine installed within); śarīra as upādhi to be purified for sādhana.

Application: Use mantra with mindful touch (feet-to-crown) as a daily preparatory practice before japa/puja; keep attention steady and breath calm.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: ritual space (antar-yajna / body as altar)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.22.4-7 (nyasa, mudra, worship in lotus, fire-rite)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the importance of the mantra “haum” in Garuda Purana?

This verse presents “haum” as a mahāmantra and calls it akhilārthada—used here as a potent seed-sound in ritual application to confer comprehensive spiritual and worldly aims when performed correctly.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Rather than describing the post-death journey, the verse teaches a bodily ritual movement (feet to crown), implying inner purification and energetic alignment—preparatory disciplines that support dharma and spiritual steadiness.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

If one follows a traditional practice under guidance, this suggests mindful, stepwise mantra-application with reverence—moving awareness from the feet upward—cultivating discipline, cleanliness, and focused devotion.