Shloka 14

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

Sanskrit

तृतीया च प्लुतार्धाख्या वचसः सा न गोचरा ।

इत्येतदक्षरं ब्रह्म परमोङ्कारसंज्ञितम् ॥

Transliteration

tṛtīyā ca plutārdhākhyā vacasaḥ sā na gocarā /

ityetadakṣaraṃ brahma paramoṅkārasaṃjñitam

Translation

Die dritte heißt „pluta-ardha“ (gedehnt/überlang und um eine halbe Einheit darüber hinaus) und liegt außerhalb des Bereichs gewöhnlicher Rede. So ist dies das unvergängliche Brahman, bekannt als der höchste Oṅkāra.

Word by Word

• तृतीया: third
• तृतीया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular; qualifies 'मात्रा' (understood)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• प्लुत: prolated (three-mora length)
• प्लुत: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pluta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter stem as first member in compound

• अर्ध: half
• अर्ध: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter stem as second member in compound

• आख्या: called/named
• आख्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular; 'named/called' (as adjective)

• वचसः: of speech
• वचसः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी) Singular

• सा: that (she/it)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Feminine, Nominative Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle (निषेध)

• गोचरा: within range/perceptible
• गोचरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gocara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative Singular; predicate adjective with 'सा'

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotative particle

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Neuter, Nominative/Accusative Singular; qualifies 'अक्षरम्'

• अक्षरम्: syllable/imperishable
• अक्षरम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative Singular

• ब्रह्म: Brahman
• ब्रह्म: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative Singular; in apposition/predicate to 'अक्षरम्'

• परम: supreme
• परम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter stem as first member in compound

• ओङ्कार: Oṅkāra (the syllable Oṃ)
• ओङ्कार: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṅkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine stem as second member in compound

• संज्ञितम्: is designated
• संज्ञितम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃjñita (कृदन्त; √jñā ज्ञा)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative Singular; predicate: 'named/called'

Speakers

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

Verse Rasa

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

Primary Deities

• Brahman (Absolute)

Key Themes

• Praṇava
• Transcendence beyond speech
• Akṣara-Brahman
• Mantra esotericism

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Ultimate reality exceeds verbal formulation: scripture guides up to the threshold, but realization requires silence-like inward knowing—fostering humility and contemplative seriousness.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

A mokṣa/tattva conclusion within a teaching passage; not a sarga/pratisarga/manvantara/vaṃśa/vaṃśānucarita unit.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Not in the range of speech’ indicates the transition from articulated mantra to unstruck sound (anāhata) and finally to silence (turīya-like). ‘Paramoṅkāra’ names Oṁ’s culmination as identity with Akṣara-Brahman.