Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 37

लिङ्गपूजनसंक्षेपः

Concise Teaching on Liṅga Worship / Śiva-arcana-vidhi

Devanagari script

देहशुद्धिं ततः कृत्वा मूल मंत्रं न्यसेत्क्रमात् । सर्वत्र प्रणवेनैव षडंगन्यासमाचरेत्

Transliteration

dehaśuddhiṃ tataḥ kṛtvā mūla maṃtraṃ nyasetkramāt | sarvatra praṇavenaiva ṣaḍaṃganyāsamācaret

Translation

ครั้นชำระกายให้บริสุทธิ์แล้ว พึงวางนยาสะแห่งมูลมนตร์ตามลำดับ และในทุกส่วนพึงกระทำษฑังคะนยาสะด้วยปรณว ‘โอม’ เพียงอย่างเดียว

Word by Word

• dehaśuddhim: body-purification
• dehaśuddhim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha + śuddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (देहस्य शुद्धिः)

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; krama/paścāt (क्रम/पश्चात्) adverb ‘thereafter’

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यबन्त), ‘having done’

• mūlam: root (principal)
• mūlam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular); viśeṣaṇa of mantram

• mantram: mantra
• mantram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular)

• nyaset: should place/assign (nyāsa)
• nyaset: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni + as (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (singular); causative sense in ritual usage ‘to place/assign’

• kramāt: in sequence
• kramāt: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tasil-anta avyaya (तसिलन्त-अव्यय) ‘in order/ क्रमशः’

• sarvatra: everywhere
• sarvatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (देश-अव्यय) adverb ‘everywhere’

• praṇavena: with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇavena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana (singular)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण-निपात)

• ṣaḍaṅganyāsam: six-part nyāsa
• ṣaḍaṅganyāsam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + aṅga + nyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (singular); dvigu/tatpuruṣa sense ‘six-limbed nyāsa’ (षडङ्गस्य न्यासः)

• ācaret: should perform/practice
• ācaret: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + car (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्, optative), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana (singular)

Speaker

Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating Śiva-worship procedure to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: ॐ (प्रणव)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that Śiva-upāsanā begins with inner and outer purification (dehaśuddhi) and proceeds through mantra-śakti being consciously installed by nyāsa, aligning the devotee’s body-mind as a fit vessel for Pati (Śiva) through disciplined practice.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In Liṅga/Saguṇa worship, nyāsa sacralizes the worshipper’s limbs and awareness before offering to the Liṅga; the Praṇava and the root mantra function as the living presence invoked, making pūjā not merely external but a consecrated, embodied communion with Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform dehaśuddhi, then do krama-nyāsa of the mūla-mantra, followed by ṣaḍaṅga-nyāsa using Oṁ (Praṇava) across the prescribed limbs—preparing for japa and Liṅga-pūjā with focused, mantra-centered awareness.