Shloka 1

शिवध्यानपूजनवर्णनम्

Description of Śiva Meditation and Worship

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । स्ववामे चतुरस्रं तु मण्डलं परिकल्पयेत् । ओमित्यभ्यर्च्य तस्मिंस्तु शंखमस्त्रोपशोभितम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | svavāme caturasraṃ tu maṇḍalaṃ parikalpayet | omityabhyarcya tasmiṃstu śaṃkhamastropaśobhitam

Translation

Īśvara phán: “Ở bên trái của mình, hãy thiết lập một maṇḍala hình vuông. Sau khi lễ bái bằng âm tiết ‘Oṃ’, hãy đặt tại đó một vỏ ốc (śaṅkha), được trang nghiêm và gia trì bằng các Astra-mantra hộ vệ.”

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्व-वामे: on (his/one’s) left side
• स्व-वामे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वाम=left side/left), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वं वामं यस्मिन्/स्ववामे = on one’s own left)

• चतुरस्रम्: square (four-sided)
• चतुरस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (to मण्डलम्)

• तु: indeed, and/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/निपात), विरोध/अन्वयार्थक

• मण्डलम्: a maṇḍala, diagram/circle
• मण्डलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• परिकल्पयेत्: should construct/arrange
• परिकल्पयेत्: Vidhi-kriyā (विधेयक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + kḷp (कॢप् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ओम्: Oṃ
• ओम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: अव्यय (sacred syllable/प्रणव), मन्त्र-शब्द

• इति: thus (saying)
• इति: Prakāra/Quotation-marker (इत्यादि-निर्देशक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (quotative particle/इत्यर्थक)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi + arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having worshipped)

• तस्मिन्: in that (maṇḍala)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/निपात)

• शंखम्: conch
• शंखम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṅkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• अस्त्र-उपशोभितम्: adorned with the astra (weapon-mantra)
• अस्त्र-उपशोभितम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: astra (प्रातिपदिक) + upaśobhita (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त from śubh/śobh)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अस्त्रेण उपशोभितम्) विशेषण (to शंखम्)

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Īśvara)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara

Sthala Purana: The verse centers on worship with ‘Oṃ’ and maṇḍala construction; this resonates with Oṃkāra as liṅga-principle. In jyotirliṅga lore, Oṃkāreśvara manifests on the Narmadā’s island shaped like Oṃ, where Śiva is worshipped as Oṃkāra.

Significance: Pilgrimage and worship of Oṃkāra are held to purify speech and mind, stabilize prāṇa, and grant Śiva’s grace (anugraha) through praṇava-upāsanā.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: dhupa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that worship begins with ordered sacred space (maṇḍala) and pranava (Om), showing that outer ritual discipline supports inner concentration on Pati (Śiva) as the liberating Lord.

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

The verse sets the preliminary ritual framework—mandala, Om, and protected implements—used in saguna upāsanā, preparing the worshipper to approach Śiva’s manifest presence (such as the Liṅga) with purity and protection.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Construct a square mandala to the left, invoke and worship with ‘Om’, and place a ritually protected conch—indicating mantra-nyāsa/protection (astra-mantras) and a focused, methodical pūjā sequence.