Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 51
प्रणवविभागः—वेदस्वरूपत्वं लिङ्गे च प्रतिष्ठा
The Division of Oṃ, Its Vedic Forms, and Its Placement in the Liṅga
युवयोः प्रतिबोधाय मध्ये लिंगमुपस्थितम् । एवमोमिति मां प्राहुर्यदिहोक्तमथर्वणा
yuvayoḥ pratibodhāya madhye liṃgamupasthitam | evamomiti māṃ prāhuryadihoktamatharvaṇā
Um euch beide zum Erwachen des Verständnisses zu führen, erschien der Liṅga in eurer Mitte. So sprachen sie mich mit der Silbe „Om“ an, wie es Atharvan hier verkündet hat.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Liṅgodbhava
Sthala Purana: This is the classic Liṅga-manifestation motif: the Liṅga appears ‘in the midst’ to awaken (pratibodha) the two—traditionally Brahmā and Viṣṇu—echoing the Liṅgodbhava narrative where the infinite pillar reveals Śiva’s supremacy and grants right understanding.
Significance: Liṅga-darśana as pratibodha: seeing the Liṅga is framed as a direct means to awaken knowledge and receive Śiva’s grace.
Mantra: oṃ (as explicitly cited: “evam oṃ iti”)
Type: gayatri
Role: liberating
Cosmic Event: theophany (liṅga-manifestation)
FAQs
It teaches that Śiva reveals Himself as the Liṅga—the transcendent sign of Pati—to awaken true knowledge in seekers, and that “Om” is the authoritative Vedic pointer to that supreme reality.
The Liṅga here is the manifest focus through which the formless (nirguṇa) Śiva becomes approachable; worship of the Liṅga supports saguna devotion while leading the mind toward the supreme, attributeless truth indicated by “Om.”
Meditate on “Om” while worshipping the Śiva-liṅga—mentally offering reverence and reciting Shiva-mantras (including the Panchākṣarī, where appropriate) to cultivate inner awakening (pratibodha).