Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 26

Śiva’s Freedom from Bondage and His Cosmic Support (शिवस्य अबन्धत्वं तथा सर्वाधिष्ठानत्वम्)

Devanagari script

अस्य मात्राः समाख्याताश्चतस्रो वेदमूर्धनि । अकारश्चाप्युकारश्च मकारो नाद इत्यपि

Transliteration

asya mātrāḥ samākhyātāścatasro vedamūrdhani | akāraścāpyukāraśca makāro nāda ityapi

Translation

Au faîte du Veda (l’enseignement sacré), quatre mesures (mātrā) de cela ont été proclamées : le son « A », le son « U », le son « M », et aussi la vibration résonnante appelée Nāda.

Word by Word

• अस्य: of this (of it)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masculine/Neuter) — सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• मात्राः: measures/units (mātrās)
• मात्राः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural)

• समाख्याताः: are declared
• समाख्याताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√khyā (धातु) + क्त (Kta)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) — ‘समाख्यात’ = ‘declared/said’

• चतस्रः: four
• चतस्रः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catasṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural) — संख्यावाचक (numeral adjective)

• वेद-मूर्धनि: on/in the head (top) of the Veda
• वेद-मूर्धनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘वेदस्य मूर्धन्’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/सप्तमी), एकवचन (Singular)

• अकारः: the letter ‘a’ (akāra)
• अकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• उकारः: the letter ‘u’ (ukāra)
• उकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ukāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• मकारः: the letter ‘m’ (makāra)
• मकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नादः: sound/resonance (nāda)
• नादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus
• इति: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्ति-बोधक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: asya mātrāḥ samākhyātāścatasro vedamūrdhani | akāraścāpyukāraśca makāro nāda ityapi

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines the Pranava (Om) in its subtle structure—A, U, M, and Nāda—showing that liberation-oriented meditation culminates not only in audible syllables but in inner vibration that leads the mind toward Shiva as the supreme Pati.

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

Saguna worship (such as Linga-pūjā) is supported and deepened by mantra; Om is presented as the Vedic summit that sanctifies outer ritual and turns it inward, so devotion matures into contemplative union with Shiva’s presence beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice japa and dhyāna on Om by contemplating A-U-M and then resting attention in Nāda (the subtle inner resonance), aligning breath and mind—an approach consistent with Shaiva yoga and mantra-sādhana.