Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 18
शब्दब्रह्मतनुवर्णनम् — Description of the Form of Śabda-Brahman
मकाराख्यस्तु यो नित्यमनुग्रहकरोऽभवत् । मकाराख्यो विभुर्बीजी ह्यकारो बीज उच्यते
makārākhyastu yo nityamanugrahakaro'bhavat | makārākhyo vibhurbījī hyakāro bīja ucyate
Ese principio eterno, llamado “Ma”, se volvió el siempre benévolo otorgador de gracia divina. El Señor omnipenetrante, designado como “Ma”, es la fuente portadora de la semilla (bīja); y la sílaba “A” también es declarada semilla (bīja).
Suta Goswami (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā teaching to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Mantra: मकाराख्यस्तु यो नित्यमनुग्रहकरोऽभवत् । मकाराख्यो विभुर्बीजी ह्यकारो बीज उच्यते
Role: liberating
Cosmic Event: pre-creational causal doctrine of bīja (phonemic seed)
FAQs
It highlights that creation and liberation are rooted in Shiva’s anugraha (grace), expressed through mantra-seeds (bīja) like ‘Ma’ and ‘A’, pointing to Shiva as the all-pervading source who awakens the soul through sacred sound.
In Saguna worship, Shiva is approached through tangible supports like the Liṅga and audible supports like mantra; this verse frames specific syllables as Shiva’s power in sound-form, making mantra-japa a direct mode of Liṅga-centered devotion and grace.
Mantra-japa focusing on bīja-syllables—especially within the Panchākṣarī stream (“Namaḥ Śivāya”)—performed with bhakti and purity, as a grace-invoking practice aligned with Shaiva Siddhanta.