Shloka 56

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

मात्रास्तिस्रस्त्वर्धमात्रं नादाख्यं ब्रह्मसंज्ञितम् ऋग्यजुःसामवेदा वै मात्रारूपेण माधवः

Transliteration

mātrāstisrastvardhamātraṃ nādākhyaṃ brahmasaṃjñitam ṛgyajuḥsāmavedā vai mātrārūpeṇa mādhavaḥ

Translation

Es gibt drei Mātrās, und die halbe Mātrā heißt Nāda, bekannt als Brahman. Wahrlich, Ṛg-, Yajur- und Sāma-Veda bestehen in der Gestalt dieser Maße—so ist Mādhava als die eigentliche Struktur der Mātrās gegenwärtig.

Word by Word

• मात्राः (mātrāḥ): measures/syllabic units

• तिस्रः (tisraḥ): three

• तु (tu): and/indeed

• अर्धमात्रम् (ardha-mātram): half-measure

• नादाख्यम् (nāda-ākhyam): termed ‘Nāda’/sound-principle

• ब्रह्मसंज्ञितम् (brahma-saṃjñitam): designated as Brahman

• ऋग्यजुःसामवेदाः (ṛg-yajuḥ-sāma-vedāḥ): the Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma Vedas

• वै (vai): indeed

• मात्रारूपेण (mātrā-rūpeṇa): in the form of mātrās

• माधवः (mādhavaḥ): Mādhava (Vishnu).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the doctrinal teaching within the Purva-Bhaga context)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Brahman
• Nada
• Rig Veda
• Yajur Veda
• Sama Veda

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It links Linga-upāsanā to the Pranava doctrine: the worshipper contemplates Om’s mātrās and the subtle Nāda (half-mātrā) as Brahman, making mantra-japa and inner sound (nāda-anusandhāna) integral to Shaiva worship.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By identifying Nāda as Brahman, it points to Shiva-tattva as the transcendent Pati realized as the subtle sound-principle beyond gross speech—accessible through inner absorption where pasha (bondage) loosens for the pashu (soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Pranava-japa with contemplation of the mātrās and the half-mātrā Nāda—used as a yogic support for dhyāna (meditative absorption) and as a mantra-basis in Shaiva puja and Pashupata-aligned inner practice.