Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

अकारं बह्वृचं प्राहुरुकारो यजुरुच्यते । मकारः सामनादोस्य श्रुतिराथर्वणी स्मृताः

Transliteration

akāraṃ bahvṛcaṃ prāhurukāro yajurucyate | makāraḥ sāmanādosya śrutirātharvaṇī smṛtāḥ

Translation

Ils déclarent que la syllabe « A » est le Ṛgveda (Bahvṛc), que « U » est appelé Yajurveda, et que « M » est son son Sāma ; et sa Śruti est tenue pour l’Atharvaveda.

Word by Word

• अकारम्: the letter ‘a’
• अकारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• बह्वृचम्: the Ṛgveda (Bahvṛc)
• बह्वृचम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bahvṛc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular) — ऋग्वेद (name of Veda/collection)

• प्राहुः: they say
• प्राहुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

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

• यजुः: the Yajurveda
• यजुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular) — यजुर्वेद

• उच्यते: is said (is called)
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

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

• साम-नादः: the sound of Sāman (Sāmaveda)
• साम-नादः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāman (प्रातिपदिक) + nāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘साम्नः नादः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्य: of this (of it)
• अस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• श्रुतिः: the śruti (revelation/recitation)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• आथर्वणी: Atharvan (pertaining to Atharvaveda)
• आथर्वणी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātharvaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — विशेषण (qualifier)

• स्मृताः: are considered/are remembered as
• स्मृताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + क्त (Kta)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘remembered/considered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Tatpuruṣa

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: akāraṃ bahvṛcaṃ prāhurukāro yajurucyate | makāraḥ sāmanādosya śrutirātharvaṇī smṛtāḥ

Type: rudram

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

This verse presents Oṃ as the condensed essence of Vedic revelation: A-U-M is identified with Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma, and the fullness of Śruti is recalled as Atharva—showing that mantra (especially Oṃ) is a complete doorway to divine knowledge and liberation in Shaiva teaching.

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

In Linga-worship, Oṃ functions as the primal sound-body of Shiva (Śabda-Brahman), supporting Saguna devotion while pointing to the Nirguna reality beyond form. Thus, chanting Oṃ before/with Shiva-mantras sanctifies worship by rooting it in the authority and totality of Śruti.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa and dhyāna on Oṃ (A-U-M) as a complete Vedic mantra—recited at the start of Shiva-pūjā and paired with the Panchākṣarī “Namaḥ Śivāya”—is implied as a direct, Śruti-grounded practice for inner purification and steadiness of mind.