Shloka 33
शब्दब्रह्मतनुवर्णनम् — Description of the Form of Śabda-Brahman
उकारो दक्षिणं श्रोत्रमूकारो वाम उच्यते । ऋकारो दक्षिणं तस्य कपोलं परमेष्ठिनः
ukāro dakṣiṇaṃ śrotramūkāro vāma ucyate | ṛkāro dakṣiṇaṃ tasya kapolaṃ parameṣṭhinaḥ
‘U’ is said to be the right ear, and ‘Ū’ the left; and ‘Ṛ’ is declared to be the right cheek of that Supreme Lord, Parameṣṭhin.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Shiva Purana teachings to the sages at Naimisharanya, conveying the Srishti-khanda account)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Cosmic Event: Sṛṣṭi-kathā framing: manifestation of the Lord’s cosmic body through varṇas (mātṛkā)
FAQs
It teaches a mantra-based contemplative vision where sacred sounds are not merely letters but living aspects of the Divine Body, guiding the seeker to internalize worship and perceive Śiva’s presence within creation.
Just as the Liṅga is a tangible support for Saguna devotion, these syllable-to-limb correspondences provide an inner support (antaryāga), helping the devotee meditate on the Lord’s manifest form through sound.
A practical takeaway is japa with bhāvanā: while repeating sacred syllables, mentally place them in the corresponding divine limbs, cultivating focused awareness (dhāraṇā) and reverence, as an internalized form of worship.