Shloka 21

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

Devanagari script

अकारस्तु महद्बीजं रजस्स्रष्टा चतुर्मुखः । उकारः प्रकृतिर्योनिस्सत्त्वं पालयिता हरिः

Transliteration

akārastu mahadbījaṃ rajassraṣṭā caturmukhaḥ | ukāraḥ prakṛtiryonissattvaṃ pālayitā hariḥ

Translation

„A“ ist der große Same (der uranfängliche Ursprung); aus dem Rajas entsteht der viergesichtige Schöpfer Brahmā. „U“ ist Prakṛti, der Schoß der Offenbarung; aus dem Sattva entsteht Hari (Viṣṇu), der Erhalter.

Word by Word

अकारःthe letter ‘a’ (akāra)

तुindeed/but

महत्great

बीजम्seed

रजःrajas (the quality of activity)

स्रष्टाcreator

चतुर्मुखःthe four-faced one (Brahmā)

उकारःthe letter ‘u’ (ukāra)

प्रकृतिःPrakṛti (primordial nature)

योनिःwomb/source

सत्त्वम्sattva (purity/clarity)

पालयिताprotector

हरिःHari (Viṣṇu)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Mantra Metadata

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

Brahma

Vishnu

FAQs

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

It links the sacred sound (seed-syllables) to cosmic functions: rajas manifests as Brahmā’s creative impulse, and sattva sustains as Viṣṇu’s preserving power—pointing to a deeper Shaiva view that these operate within the higher reality taught by Shiva.

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

In Linga worship, devotees contemplate Shiva as the transcendent ground from which the functions of creation and preservation arise; meditating on AUM and its phonemes supports Saguna-upāsanā while directing the mind toward Shiva as the supreme Pati beyond the guṇas.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is japa and dhyāna on AUM (or joining it with the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), contemplating ‘A’ as the seed of emergence and ‘U’ as the sustaining womb of Prakṛti, while offering the mind into Shiva’s higher stillness.