Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 17
शब्दब्रह्मतनुवर्णनम् — Description of the Form of Śabda-Brahman
एकाक्षरान्मकाराख्याद्भगवान्नीललोहितः । सर्गकर्ता त्वकाराख्यो ह्युकाराख्यस्तु मोहकः
ekākṣarānmakārākhyādbhagavānnīlalohitaḥ | sargakartā tvakārākhyo hyukārākhyastu mohakaḥ
Daripada satu suku kata yang disebut “ma” terbitlah Tuhan Yang Terberkati, Nīlalohita. Daripada suku kata “ta” lahir pencipta penzahiran; dan suku kata “hu” dikenali sebagai yang memperdaya—yang menudungi makhluk dengan māyā.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Rudra Samhita’s Srishti Khanda teaching to the sages, with the account rooted in Brahma’s creation-context)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Nīlakaṇṭha
Mantra: ॐ—म (makāra) … (and phonemes ‘ta’, ‘hu’ as causal/veiling agencies in this passage)
Type: gayatri
Role: destructive
Cosmic Event: Functional differentiation of cosmic agencies: creation-maker and deluder (mohana) as aspects within phonemic cosmology
FAQs
It teaches that cosmic functions are expressed through sacred sound (bīja/varṇa): Rudra (Nīlalohita) manifests as the divine power behind creation and also as the veiling force that produces delusion—highlighting that bondage and liberation both operate under Shiva’s sovereignty.
By identifying Nīlalohita as arising from mantra-syllables, the verse supports Saguna worship where Shiva is approached through sound, symbol, and form—especially in Linga worship, where mantra-japa and inner contemplation make the formless (Nirguna) accessible through a sacred emblem (Saguna upāsanā).
Mantra-oriented meditation: contemplate Shiva as the source of creation and the remover of delusion while practicing japa (especially Shaiva mantras such as the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), with the intent to pierce māyā through devotion and discernment.