Shloka 52
प्रणवमहिमा — The Greatness of the Praṇava (Om) as Śiva
हुत्वोपरिष्टात्तन्त्रं च तेनाग्नेरुत्तरे बुधः । स्थित्वासने जपेन्मौनी चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरे । यावद्ब्राह्ममुहूर्त्तं तु गायत्रीं दृढमानसः
hutvopariṣṭāttantraṃ ca tenāgneruttare budhaḥ | sthitvāsane japenmaunī cailājinakuśottare | yāvadbrāhmamuhūrttaṃ tu gāyatrīṃ dṛḍhamānasaḥ
Sau khi cử hành lễ hiến cúng (homa) và hoàn tất nghi quỹ đã được quy định, người hiền trí nên đứng về phía bắc của ngọn lửa thiêng. Rồi, ngồi trong im lặng trên pháp tọa trải vải, da nai và cỏ kuśa, với tâm kiên cố, hãy trì tụng thần chú Gāyatrī cho đến khi mãn brāhma-muhūrta.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s prescribed disciplines as taught in the Kailasa Samhita)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Type: gayatri
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches disciplined sādhanā: after ritual action (karma) one turns inward through silence, steadiness, and mantra-japa in the brāhma-muhūrta—purifying the pashu (bound soul) and orienting it toward Pati (Shiva) through focused awareness.
The sequence—agni-offering followed by seated japa—mirrors Shaiva worship where outer acts support inner absorption. Even when the mantra named is Gāyatrī, the intent is purification and concentration that culminate in devotion and contemplation of Shiva as the indwelling Lord, the goal of Saguna worship leading toward higher realization.
Stand north of the sacred fire after oblations, sit silently on a proper āsana (cloth/deer-skin/kuśa), and perform steady Gāyatrī japa until the brāhma-muhūrta ends—emphasizing mauna (silence) and single-pointed mind.