Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23

न्यासत्रैविध्य-भूतशुद्धि-प्रक्रिया

Threefold Nyāsa and the Procedure of Elemental Purification

Devanagari script

पञ्चमः कथ्यते सद्भिर्न्यासः पञ्चाक्षरात्मकः । एतेष्वेकमनेकं वा कुर्यात्पूजादि कर्मसु । अकारं मूर्ध्नि विन्यस्य आकारं च ललाटके । इं ईं च नेत्रयोस्तद्वतुं ऊं श्रवणयोस्तथा

Transliteration

pañcamaḥ kathyate sadbhirnyāsaḥ pañcākṣarātmakaḥ | eteṣvekamanekaṃ vā kuryātpūjādi karmasu | akāraṃ mūrdhni vinyasya ākāraṃ ca lalāṭake | iṃ īṃ ca netrayostadvatuṃ ūṃ śravaṇayostathā

Translation

วิธีที่ห้า อันสัตบุรุษสรรเสริญ เรียกว่า “นยาสะแห่งปัญจอักษร” ในพิธีบูชาและกิจกรรมศักดิ์สิทธิ์อื่น จะทำอย่างใดอย่างหนึ่งหรือหลายอย่างก็ได้ วาง ‘อะ’ ที่กระหม่อม และ ‘อา’ ที่หน้าผาก; วาง ‘อิ’ ‘อี’ ที่ดวงตาทั้งสอง และวาง ‘อุ’ ‘อู’ ที่หูทั้งสองโดยลำดับเดียวกัน।

Word by Word

• पञ्चमः: the fifth
• पञ्चमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• कथ्यते: is said/declared
• कथ्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• सद्भिः: by the good (people)
• सद्भिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• न्यासः: nyāsa (ritual placement)
• न्यासः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पञ्चाक्षरात्मकः: consisting of five syllables
• पञ्चाक्षरात्मकः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अक्षर + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; (पञ्च-अक्षर)-आत्मकः = पञ्चाक्षरात्मकः

• एतेषु: among these/in these
• एतेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• एकम्: one (letter)
• एकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनेकम्: many (letters)
• अनेकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (particle of option)

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पूजा-आदि: such as worship, etc.
• पूजा-आदि: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजा + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; अत्र 'आदि'समासः; 'पूजादि' = पूजा-प्रभृति; (कर्मसु इति विशेषण)

• कर्मसु: in rites/acts
• कर्मसु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अकारम्: the letter 'a'
• अकारम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head/crown
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विन्यस्य: having placed
• विन्यस्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-नि- अस्/न्यस् (धातु; √अस्/√न्यस् प्रयोगः)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), 'having placed'

• आकारम्: the letter 'ā'
• आकारम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ललाटके: on the forehead
• ललाटके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाटक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इम्: the letter 'i' (nasalized)
• इम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बीजाक्षर-रूपेण

• ईम्: the letter 'ī' (nasalized)
• ईम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बीजाक्षर-रूपेण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• नेत्रयोः: of/on the two eyes
• नेत्रयोः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), द्विवचन

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय/तद्धितान्त)
• Form: तुल्यार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'likewise')

• उम्: the letter 'u' (nasalized)
• उम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बीजाक्षर-रूपेण

• श्रवणयोः: of/on the two ears
• श्रवणयोः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• तथा: thus/also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/so')

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teaching to the sages)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches pañcākṣara-nyāsa—sanctifying the body by placing mantra-syllables on key sense-centers—so the devotee becomes a fit vessel for Shiva’s grace (Pati) and worship becomes inward as well as outward.

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

Nyāsa is performed before or alongside Linga-pūjā to internalize Saguna Shiva worship: the devotee aligns mind and senses with the mantra-power, then offers flowers, water, and devotion to the Linga with a purified inner field.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform letter-nyāsa of vowel seed-forms on the head, forehead, eyes, and ears as part of Shiva pūjā, using the pañcākṣara framework; it functions as a preparatory concentration practice before japa and offerings.