Shloka 31

प्रणवमहिमा — The Greatness of the Praṇava (Om) as Śiva

Devanagari script

पंचवर्णसमष्टिः स्यान्मन्त्रः पूर्वमुदाहतः । स एव यंत्रतां प्राप्तो वक्ष्ये तन्मण्डलक्रमम्

Transliteration

paṃcavarṇasamaṣṭiḥ syānmantraḥ pūrvamudāhataḥ | sa eva yaṃtratāṃ prāpto vakṣye tanmaṇḍalakramam

Translation

المانترا التي أُعلنت من قبل هي تركيبٌ من خمسة مقاطع مقدّسة. وهذه المانترا نفسها، إذا نُظِّمت في هيئة يانترَا، صارت هي اليانترَا بعينها؛ وسأصف الآن ترتيب ماندالاها (maṇḍala) على وجهه الصحيح.

Word by Word

• paṃca-varṇa-samaṣṭiḥ: the aggregate of five letters
• paṃca-varṇa-samaṣṭiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṃca (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + samaṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष; ‘पञ्चवर्णानां समष्टिः’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• syāt: would be / is (defined as)
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mantraḥ: mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pūrvam: previously
• pūrvam: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• udāhataḥ: was stated/uttered
• udāhataḥ: Vidheya (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√āhṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), भूतकर्मणि; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘mantraḥ’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

• saḥ: that (mantra)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• yaṃtra-tām: the state of being a yantra
• yaṃtra-tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaṃtra (प्रातिपदिक) + -tā (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धित (state/ness)

• prāptaḥ: having attained
• prāptaḥ: Vidheya (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), भूतकृत्; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘saḥ’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्

• vakṣye: I shall explain
• vakṣye: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tat-maṇḍala-kramam: its maṇḍala-sequence/procedure
• tat-maṇḍala-kramam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य मण्डलस्य क्रमः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching the yantra-maṇḍala method within the Kailāsasaṃhitā discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (implied by pañcavarṇa)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Mantra-to-form transformation: śabda (pañcavarṇa) crystallizes into yantra/maṇḍala—microcosm mirroring cosmic ordering.

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that the five-syllable Shiva-mantra is not only to be recited but can also be embodied as a sacred form (yantra/maṇḍala), making meditation more concentrated and worship more internally unified—mantra (sound) and form supporting realization of Pati (Shiva).

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

By stating that the mantra itself becomes a yantra, the text links sound-worship to form-worship: the devotee approaches Saguna Shiva through a consecrated diagram/maṇḍala just as one approaches Shiva through the Linga—both are supports for devotion and disciplined contemplation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It suggests yantra/maṇḍala-based upāsanā of the five-syllable mantra—placing the mantra in a prescribed diagram, then performing japa and dhyāna with focused visualization (often alongside standard Shaiva aids like bhasma and rudrākṣa where taught).