Śivasaṃhitā 5.148

The sixteen-digit moon (ṣoḍaśakalācandra) represents perfect fullness in Tantric cosmology. Each kalā is a power or phase; the sixteenth, often called amṛtakalā, is associated with immortal nectar. To contemplate this complete, stainless moon in the frontal center is to orient the mind toward wholeness itself — a wholeness that, according to this verse, has the power to incinerate accumulated karma.

The phrase rājayogādhikārī deserves careful attention. Adhikāra in Indian philosophical tradition denotes a genuine qualification or fitness — not merely moral worthiness but an actual capacity cultivated through practice. By stating that this contemplation generates rājayoga qualification, the text positions this lunar meditation as a preparatory practice that transforms the practitioner’s interior constitution, making advanced states accessible.

The specific claim that the inner moon becomes visible within three days of practice is a common rhetorical device in Haṭha Yoga literature. Such precise timelines function as encouragements rather than guarantees, communicating that the fruits of practice are concrete and attainable. The burning of the five great sins (pañcamahāpātaka) through meditative vision reflects the Tantric understanding that purification operates at the level of subtle energy, not merely ethical conduct.