Shloka 3

न्यासवर्णनम् (Nyāsa-varṇanam) — Description of Nyāsa in the Saṃnyāsa Procedure

Devanagari script

मनुमेवं समुच्चार्य स्थित्वा तस्मिन्नुदङ्मुखः । प्राणानायम्य विधिवत्प्र णवोच्चारपूर्वकम्

Transliteration

manumevaṃ samuccārya sthitvā tasminnudaṅmukhaḥ | prāṇānāyamya vidhivatpra ṇavoccārapūrvakam

Translation

یوں منتر کا پورا اُچارَن کر کے وہ وہیں شمال رُخ ٹھہرے؛ پھر مقررہ طریقے سے پرانایام کرے، آغاز پرنَو (اوم) کے اُچارَن سے کرے۔

Word by Word

• manum: the mantra/Manu (mantra-formula)
• manum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), prakāra-vācaka adverb (प्रकारवाचक)

• samuccārya: having pronounced/recited
• samuccārya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ud-√car (सम्+उद्+चर् धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (क्त्वा), Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त), pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• sthitvā: having stood/remained
• sthitvā: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (क्त्वा), Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त)

• tasmin: in that (state/place)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃ/Napuṃ (पुं/नपुंसक), Saptamī (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• udaṅmukhaḥ: facing north
• udaṅmukhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udak (उदक/उदङ्) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (एकवचन); karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) = ‘udak-diśi mukhaṃ yasya’ (north-facing)

• prāṇān: the breaths (vital airs)
• prāṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• āyamya: having restrained (controlled)
• āyamya: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yam (आ+यम् धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (क्त्वा) in ya-form (आयम्य), Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त)

• vidhivat: according to rule
• vidhivat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhivat (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), manner adverb (विधिवत् = विधिना)

• praṇava-uccāra-pūrvakam: preceded by the utterance of Oṃ
• praṇava-uccāra-pūrvakam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + uccāra (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva (अव्ययीभाव) used adverbially; napuṃsaka-eka (नपुंसक एकवचन) form functioning as avyaya; meaning ‘with praṇava-recitation as the preface’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: Praṇava (Oṃ) (explicitly referenced as the beginning of the regulated-breath practice)

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that mantra-japa becomes spiritually potent when joined to discipline of posture, direction, and prāṇa—beginning with Praṇava—so the mind turns steadily toward Pati (Lord Shiva) rather than remaining scattered in pasha-bound tendencies.

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

The verse describes the inner method that supports outer worship: before (or alongside) Linga-upāsanā, the devotee steadies breath and begins japa with Om, making the mind fit to contemplate Shiva in a saguna form while being led toward the higher, transcendent reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Face north, recite the chosen Shiva-mantra, perform prāṇāyāma in a rule-based way, and commence japa with the utterance of Praṇava (Om) as the sanctifying prelude.