Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 30
Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)
सर्वं तिसृभिरेवेदं मात्राभिर्निखिलं त्रिधा । अभिधाय शिवात्मानं बोधयत्यर्धमात्रया
sarvaṃ tisṛbhirevedaṃ mātrābhirnikhilaṃ tridhā | abhidhāya śivātmānaṃ bodhayatyardhamātrayā
All dies—das ganze Universum in seiner dreifachen Gliederung—wird durch die drei Mātrās (des Oṃ) ausgedrückt. Doch durch die Halb-Mātrā erwacht die Erkenntnis, dass Śiva das eigene Selbst ist—der transzendente Herr jenseits der Dreiheit, Spender befreienden Wissens.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā teaching to the sages at Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Mantra: sarvaṃ tisṛbhirevedaṃ mātrābhirnikhilaṃ tridhā | abhidhāya śivātmānaṃ bodhayatyardhamātrayā
Type: gayatri
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches that the manifest threefold cosmos is symbolized by the three mātrās of Oṃ (A-U-M), while the half-mātrā—silent transcendence—reveals Shiva as the innermost Self and the liberator beyond all categories.
The three mātrās can be contemplated as Saguna expression (name, form, and cosmic functions), while the half-mātrā points to Shiva’s Nirguna reality—like the Linga, which signifies the formless Absolute while still being worshiped through a sacred form.
Japa and dhyāna on Oṃ: chant A-U-M distinctly, then rest attention in the ensuing silence (ardha-mātrā). This aligns well with Shaiva practice alongside Panchākṣarī japa (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and inner stillness aimed at moksha.