Shloka 13

Praṇava-Māhātmya and the Twofold Mantra (Sūkṣma–Sthūla) in Śaiva Sādhanā

Devanagari script

अकारश्च उकारश्च मकारश्च ततः परम् । बिंदुनादयुतं तद्धि शब्दकालकलान्वितम्

Transliteration

akāraśca ukāraśca makāraśca tataḥ param | biṃdunādayutaṃ taddhi śabdakālakalānvitam

Translation

“A”, “U”, and “M”—and beyond these—verily that Praṇava (Oṃ) is joined with bindu and nāda, and is endowed with sound, time, and kalā, the subtle power of manifestation.

Word by Word

• अकारः: the letter ‘a’
• अकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• उकारः: the letter ‘u’
• उकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• मकारः: the letter ‘m’
• मकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘thereafter/from that’

• परम्: the next/that which is beyond
• परम्: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; used predicatively ‘the next/supreme’

• बिन्दु-नाद-युतम्: joined with bindu and nāda
• बिन्दु-नाद-युतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (binda + nāda as a pair) with past participle ‘yuta’ (‘joined with’); प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; refers to ‘param’/pranava-form

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis

• शब्द-काल-कला-अन्वितम्: endowed with sound, time, and kalā
• शब्द-काल-कला-अन्वितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (śabda+ kāla+ kalā as a set) with past participle ‘anvita’ (‘endowed with’); प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s doctrine of Praṇava as taught in the Vidyeśvara context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara

Sthala Purana: Oṃkāra as the primordial liṅga-sound: the kṣetra is celebrated as the place where Śiva is worshipped in the form of Oṃ (Praṇava), making the mantra itself a tīrtha of realization.

Significance: Pilgrimage is framed as entering the Praṇava-mandala—purification of speech and mind, and deepening of japa into nāda-anusandhāna.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: Oṃ (Praṇava) analyzed as A-U-M with ‘beyond’ (amātrā), accompanied by bindu and nāda.

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines Praṇava (Om) as not merely A-U-M, but as the living mantric form endowed with bindu and nāda—point and resonance—through which consciousness, time, and divine power (kalā) become spiritually accessible for liberation-oriented meditation.

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

In Śaiva practice, the Liṅga is worshipped with mantra as Śiva’s audible form (śabda-brahman). This verse explains Om as a complete mantric body—A-U-M plus bindu-nāda—supporting Saguna worship (ritual recitation, japa) while pointing to the transcendent ‘beyond’ (tataḥ param) of Nirguṇa Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Praṇava-japa with inner listening to nāda: chant Om (or prefix it to ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’), then contemplate the bindu as a steady point of awareness and the nāda as subtle resonance, aligning breath and attention for Śiva-dhyāna.