Laghunyasam, means ‘a short prayer to invoke the deity. Laghu (लघु) – meaning “short,” or “brief.” Nyasam (न्यास) – meaning “dedication,”

It is customary to chant Laghunyasam, a preparatory Vedic chant before Sri Rudram to invoke inner purification and align the devotee’s body, mind, and soul with divine energies. The main focus of these manthras is to identify different parts of the body with various deities and cosmic elements, sanctifying the individual as a vessel of divine power.

Laghunyasa start with the following mantras:

(I meditate on him) who has five faces, three eyes who has the pure lustre of pure crystal, who supports the heavenly energy (ganga), who has ten shoulders and who is decorated with all qualities.

( He has) the blue throat, the mark of moon, who has the serpent as his sacred thread ( or manifests himself through the life-energies), he has the tiger skin as his cloak, he is adorable and he grants freedom from all fears.

( He bears) the Kamandalu, the rudraksha string, and has the weapon in his hand. he bears his raised tuft of lustrous braided hair.

He shares half the body with supreme Goddess Uma, he is seated on shoulders of the Bull (Varsha) (signifying might). He is the embodiment of immortality and peace and endowed with divine enjoyment.

He is accompanied by the lords of the quarters, he is saluted by gods and asuras, He is eternal, pure, infinite, stable and undiminishing.

He, Rudra , the lord, has a form which envelops everything. after having meditated on this God of perfection, the yajamana begins his inner yajna (or worship).