Śivasaṃhitā 5.166
Pañcamaḥ paṭalaḥ — Dhyāna
Sanskrit text
सितासिते सङ्गमे यो मनसा स्नानमाचरेत्।
Transliteration
sitāsite saṅgame yo manasā snānamācaret|
Translation
I cannot describe the grandeur of this contemplation. He who practices, knows. He becomes respected by me.
Commentary
This verse describes an interior ritual bath: the practitioner mentally immerses themselves at the confluence of the two opposing channels, Iḍā (white, lunar) and Piṅgalā (dark, solar). This «mental bathing» (manasā snāna) elevates and internalizes the outer purificatory rite. The cleansing power does not come from sacred water but from the contemplative recognition of polarity resolved into unity within the subtle body.