Shloka 6

Adhyaya 42 — Dattatreya on the Yogic Import of Oṃ (Praṇava): Matras, Worlds, and Liberation

Sanskrit

पिपीलिकागतिस्पर्शा प्रयुक्ता मूर्ध्नि लक्ष्यते ।

यथा प्रयुक्त ओङ्गारः प्रतिनिर्याति मूर्धनि ॥

Transliteration

pipīlikāgatisparśā prayuktā mūrdhni lakṣyate /

yathā prayukta oṅgāraḥ pratiniryāti mūrdhani

Translation

إذا أُحسن تطبيقه في الممارسة أُدرِكَ عند قمة الرأس مسٌّ لطيف كحركة النمل؛ وكذلك إذا استُعمِلت مقطعة «أوم» على الوجه الصحيح فإنها ترتفع من جديد نحو القمة.

Word by Word

• पिपीलिका-गति-स्पर्शा: having a touch like an ant’s movement
• पिपीलिका-गति-स्पर्शा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिपीलिका + गति + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: पिपीलिकायाः गतिः इव स्पर्शः यस्याः (ant-like movement-touch)

• प्रयुक्ता: when applied/uttered
• प्रयुक्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् धातु से क्त, ‘प्रयुज्’ उपसर्ग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle): applied/uttered

• मूर्ध्नि: on/in the head (crown)
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative, 7th), एकवचन

• लक्ष्यते: is perceived
• लक्ष्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद/कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): is perceived/seen

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Comparator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (comparative: as/just as)

• प्रयुक्तः: when uttered
• प्रयुक्तः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रयुक्त (प्रातिपदिक; √युज् धातु से क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय: applied/uttered

• ओङ्कारः: the syllable Oṃ (Oṅkāra)
• ओङ्कारः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रतिनिर्याति: moves out/returns (upward)
• प्रतिनिर्याति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-नि-√या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद: goes forth/returns upward

• मूर्धनि: in the head (crown)
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speakers

• Unspecified in provided extract (didactic narration within Markandeya Purana’s philosophical instruction)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Praṇava-japa
• Subtle body experience
• Nāda ascent

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Inner practice yields experiential verification: the text points to tangible yogic ‘signs’ (lakṣaṇas) that encourage steadiness, careful method, and non-superficial spirituality.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

It is ancillary yogic instruction (dharma/upāsanā) rather than a core pancalakṣaṇa category; it functions as practical sādhanā guidance within the Purāṇa.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘ant-like’ sensation at the crown is a coded marker of prāṇa/udāna movement and nāda rising through the subtle channels, culminating in an upper-center focus (mūrdhan) associated with transcendence.