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
‘മ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ആ തത്ത്വം നിത്യമായി അനുഗ്രഹം ചെയ്യുന്നവയായി ഭവിച്ചു. ‘മ’ എന്നു സൂചിതമായ സർവ്വവ്യാപിയായ പ്രഭു ബീജസ്വരൂപൻ; ‘അ’ അക്ഷരവും ബീജമെന്നു പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.
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.