Shloka 49

Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च

Devanagari script

तदा समभवत्तत्र नादो वै शब्दलक्षणः ओमोमिति सुरश्रेष्ठाः सुव्यक्तः प्लुतलक्षणः

Transliteration

tadā samabhavattatra nādo vai śabdalakṣaṇaḥ omomiti suraśreṣṭhāḥ suvyaktaḥ plutalakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവിടെയേ ശബ്ദസ്വരൂപമായ ആദിനാദം ഉദിച്ചു; സുരശ്രേഷ്ഠർ അതിനെ വ്യക്തമായി ‘ഓം, ഓം’ എന്ന ദീർഘവും ഗംഭീരവുമായ നാദമായി അറിഞ്ഞു।

Word by Word

• तदा: then

• समभवत्: arose/came into being

• तत्र: there/in that place

• नादः: primordial resonance (nāda)

• वै: indeed

• शब्द-लक्षणः: having the characteristic/nature of sound (śabda)

• ओम् ओम् इति: as “Oṁ, Oṁ”

• सुर-श्रेष्ठाः: the best of the gods/Devas

• सु-व्यक्तः: clearly manifest, distinctly perceived

• प्लुत-लक्षणः: marked by prolation/elongated intonation (pluta)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga’s manifestation to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Devas

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It links the Linga’s manifestation with nāda and the clearly heard “Oṁ,” implying that Linga-pūjā is grounded in recognizing Śiva as the source of sacred sound and the inner vibration guiding worship.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

By presenting Oṁ as the distinctly manifest primordial resonance, the verse points to Śiva as Pati—the transcendent ground of śabda (sound) from which creation and revelation unfold, beyond the pasha-bound pashus.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Oṁ-dhyāna (meditation on Om) and nāda-anusandhāna (inner sound contemplation), supporting a Shaiva, Pāśupata-aligned approach where the mind is led from sound to the realization of Pati.