Shloka 13

प्रणवार्थपद्धतिवर्णनम्

Methodical Explanation of the Meaning of Praṇava/Om

Devanagari script

मायान्तु प्रकृतिम्विद्यान्मायिनन्तु महेश्वरम् । मायाविमोचकोऽनन्तोमहेश्वरसमन्वयात्

Transliteration

māyāntu prakṛtimvidyānmāyinantu maheśvaram | māyāvimocako'nantomaheśvarasamanvayāt

Translation

Know Māyā to be Prakṛti, and know the wielder of Māyā to be Maheśvara. Through union with Maheśvara, the Infinite One becomes the liberator who frees (the soul) from Māyā.

Word by Word

• māyām: Māyā
• māyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय)

• prakṛtim: Prakṛti (nature)
• prakṛtim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• vidyāt: should know/should understand
• vidyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: Optative/विधिलिङ्, Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• māyinam: the wielder of Māyā (illusionist)
• māyinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक अव्यय)

• maheśvaram: Mahēśvara
• maheśvaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; Karmadhāraya: ‘great lord’

• māyā-vimocakaḥ: the liberator from Māyā
• māyā-vimocakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + vimocaka (प्रातिपदिक; from vi√muc)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; Tatpuruṣa: ‘releaser from Māyā’

• anantaḥ: endless/infinite
• anantaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• maheśvara-samanvayāt: from/through association with Mahēśvara
• maheśvara-samanvayāt: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी): ‘from/through the connection (samanvaya) with Mahēśvara’

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Maheśvara) instructing in the Kailāsa-saṃhitā discourse

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maheśvara
• Māyā
• Prakṛti

FAQs

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

It distinguishes Māyā (the binding power identified with Prakṛti) from Maheśvara (the Lord who wields Māyā) and teaches that liberation arises by aligning with Śiva, the Pati, who alone can cut the soul’s bondage.

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

Worship of the Śiva-liṅga as Saguna Maheśvara is a practical means to approach the transcendent Lord; devotion and surrender to the Lord of Māyā lead the devotee beyond Māyā, rather than deeper into Prakṛti’s effects.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Meditate on Maheśvara as the controller of Māyā while repeating the Panchākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), cultivating inner surrender (śaraṇāgati) so that Śiva’s grace becomes the direct means of release from Māyā.