Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27

Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)

Devanagari script

अकारं बह्वृचं प्राहुरुकारो यजुरुच्यते । मकारः सामनादोस्य श्रुतिराथर्वणी स्मृताः

Transliteration

akāraṃ bahvṛcaṃ prāhurukāro yajurucyate | makāraḥ sāmanādosya śrutirātharvaṇī smṛtāḥ

Translation

يُعلنون أن المقطع «A» هو الرِّغفيدا (Bahvṛc)، وأن «U» يُسمّى اليَجُرفيدا، وأن «M» هو صوت السامافيدا فيه؛ وأن شروتيه (Śruti) تُذكَر على أنها الأثَرفافيدا.

Word by Word

• अकारम्: the letter ‘a’
• अकारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• बह्वृचम्: the Ṛgveda (Bahvṛc)
• बह्वृचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahvṛc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular) — ऋग्वेद (name of Veda/collection)

• प्राहुः: they say
• प्राहुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• उकारः: the letter ‘u’
• उकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ukāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यजुः: the Yajurveda
• यजुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular) — यजुर्वेद

• उच्यते: is said (is called)
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• मकारः: the letter ‘m’
• मकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• साम-नादः: the sound of Sāman (Sāmaveda)
• साम-नादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक) + nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘साम्नः नादः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्य: of this (of it)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• श्रुतिः: the śruti (revelation/recitation)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आथर्वणी: Atharvan (pertaining to Atharvaveda)
• आथर्वणी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātharvaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — विशेषण (qualifier)

• स्मृताः: are considered/are remembered as
• स्मृताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + क्त (Kta)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘remembered/considered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: akāraṃ bahvṛcaṃ prāhurukāro yajurucyate | makāraḥ sāmanādosya śrutirātharvaṇī smṛtāḥ

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

This verse presents Oṃ as the condensed essence of Vedic revelation: A-U-M is identified with Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma, and the fullness of Śruti is recalled as Atharva—showing that mantra (especially Oṃ) is a complete doorway to divine knowledge and liberation in Shaiva teaching.

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

In Linga-worship, Oṃ functions as the primal sound-body of Shiva (Śabda-Brahman), supporting Saguna devotion while pointing to the Nirguna reality beyond form. Thus, chanting Oṃ before/with Shiva-mantras sanctifies worship by rooting it in the authority and totality of Śruti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa and dhyāna on Oṃ (A-U-M) as a complete Vedic mantra—recited at the start of Shiva-pūjā and paired with the Panchākṣarī “Namaḥ Śivāya”—is implied as a direct, Śruti-grounded practice for inner purification and steadiness of mind.