Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 39

Parīkṣit’s Final Absorption, Takṣaka’s Bite, Janamejaya’s Snake Sacrifice, and the Vedic Sound-Lineage

Devanagari script

ततोऽभूत्‍त्रिवृदोंकारो योऽव्यक्तप्रभव: स्वराट् । यत्तल्ल‍िङ्गं भगवतो ब्रह्मण: परमात्मन: ॥ ३९ ॥

Transliteration

tato ’bhūt tri-vṛd oṁkāro yo ’vyakta-prabhavaḥ sva-rāṭ yat tal liṅgaṁ bhagavato brahmaṇaḥ paramātmanaḥ

Translation

Entonces, de aquella vibración sutil y trascendental surgió el oṁkāra de tres sonidos, nacido de lo no manifestado y auto-refulgente. Ese oṁkāra es el signo sagrado de la Verdad Absoluta en Sus tres fases: Bhagavān, Paramātmā y el Brahman impersonal.

Synonyms

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Desha-kala-adhikarana (देश-काल-अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अव्यय-प्रयोग (adverb): ‘thereupon/from that’

• abhūt: arose; came to be
• abhūt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tri-vṛt: threefold
• tri-vṛt: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + vṛt (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु-समासः: ‘त्रिभिः वृत्तः/वृतः’ → ‘threefold’ (qualifying oṁkāraḥ)

• oṁkāraḥ: the syllable Oṁ
• oṁkāraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṁkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• yaḥ: which; who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun referring to oṁkāraḥ

• avyakta-prabhavaḥ: born from the unmanifest
• avyakta-prabhavaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vyakta (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘अव्यक्तात् प्रभवः’ (originating from the unmanifest)

• sva-rāṭ: self-ruling; self-luminous
• sva-rāṭ: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + rāṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः: ‘स्वयम् राजते/राजा’ → ‘self-luminous/independent sovereign’

• yat: which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; relative pronoun correlating with ‘tat’

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative correlating with ‘yat’

• liṅgam: sign; symbol; mark
• liṅgam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• bhagavataḥ: of the Lord
• bhagavataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahman/Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paramātmanaḥ: of the Supreme Self
• paramātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paramātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the meaning of Om (Omkara)?

This verse states that the threefold Oṁ (a-u-m) manifests from the unmanifest and serves as the identifying sign of the Supreme Lord—known as Brahman and Paramātmā.

Why does Shukadeva Goswami describe Om as the sign of Bhagavan, Brahman, and Paramatma?

Because Oṁ indicates the one Absolute Truth approached in different realizations; it functions as a revealing marker of the Supreme across these features.

Practical application of Omkara teaching in modern life?

Use Oṁ with reverence as a sacred indicator of the Supreme—supporting focused meditation, prayerful remembrance, and spiritual discipline aimed at inner purification.