Shloka 15
अज्ञेया लिख्यते लोके या सर्पीकृतकुण्डली । सा मात्रा यानसंस्थापि दृश्यते न च पठ्यते
ajñeyā likhyate loke yā sarpīkṛtakuṇḍalī | sā mātrā yānasaṃsthāpi dṛśyate na ca paṭhyate
In the world there is an unknowable sign, written in the form of a serpent coiled (kuṇḍalī). That ‘mātrā’, though seen as set upon a carrier-like form, is not read as a pronounceable letter-sound.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma-saṃhitā teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Shakti Form: Tārā
Role: teaching
FAQs
It points to a subtle, transcendent aspect of sacred sound: something can be represented (written/seen) yet remain beyond ordinary speech. In Shaiva Siddhanta terms, this hints that Shiva—Pati—can be indicated by mantra-signs, but His highest reality is not exhausted by verbal recitation.
Like the Linga, which is a visible support for contemplation of the formless, this ‘seen but not read’ sign suggests a support (ālambana) that leads the mind from form (saguna indications) toward the ineffable (nirguna truth) of Shiva.
It supports japa with inner contemplation: recite the mantra outwardly, but also meditate on the unspoken, subtle resonance (nāda) behind the syllables—moving from audible japa to mental japa and finally to silent absorption.