Shloka 3

Adhyaya 42 — Dattatreya on the Yogic Import of Oṃ (Praṇava): Matras, Worlds, and Liberation

Sanskrit

तत्प्राप्तये महत्पुण्यमोमित्येकाक्षरं जपेत् ।

तदेवाध्ययनं तस्य स्वरूपं शृण्वतः परम् ॥

Transliteration

tatprāptaye mahatpuṇyam om ity ekākṣaraṁ japet / tad evādhyayanaṁ tasya svarūpaṁ śṛṇvataḥ param

Translation

それ（至上）に到達するためには、最上の功徳をもつ一音節「オーム（Oṁ）」を繰り返し唱えるべきである。それ自体が彼の学修であり、その真実の本性を聞き得る者にとって、それは最高の教えである。

Word by Word

• तत्प्राप्तये: for attaining that
• तत्प्राप्तये: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् + प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य प्राप्तये = for attaining that)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjectival to पुण्यम् (sandhi context)

• पुण्यम्: merit, holy (act/thing)
• पुण्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ओम्: Om
• ओम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ओम् (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: अव्यय; sacred syllable (प्रणव) used as quoted sound

• इति: thus (as)
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; quotation marker

• एकाक्षरम्: the single syllable
• एकाक्षरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु (one-syllable)

• जपेत्: should chant
• जपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘should repeat/chant’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• अध्ययनम्: study, recitation
• अध्ययनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of that (Om)
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; genitive pronoun

• स्वरूपम्: true nature, essential form
• स्वरूपम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वं रूपं = own nature/true form)

• शृण्वतः: of the listener
• शृण्वतः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle/शृण्वत्), षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of (one) who is listening’

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjectival to स्वरूपम्

Speakers

• Dattātreya (continuing instruction)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "bhakti", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Om
• Mantra
• Japa
• Upasana
• Moksha

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

A single, concentrated practice (praṇava-japa) can unify devotion, study, and contemplation—provided one seeks its meaning, not mere repetition.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Mantra-upadeśa and yoga-sādhana material; not pancalakṣaṇa. It is a practical bridge from theology (Paramātman) to method (japa).

What is the esoteric significance?

Praṇava is treated as both sound-form and meaning-form: japa stabilizes attention; hearing/knowing its svarūpa points to śabda dissolving into artha and finally into silent awareness.