Shloka 9

प्रणवार्थपद्धतिवर्णनम्

Methodical Explanation of the Meaning of Praṇava/Om

Devanagari script

त्रयोविंशतितत्वेभ्यः पराप्रकृतिरुच्यते । प्रकृतेस्तु परम्प्राहुः पुरुषम्पञ्चविंशकम्

Transliteration

trayoviṃśatitatvebhyaḥ parāprakṛtirucyate | prakṛtestu paramprāhuḥ puruṣampañcaviṃśakam

Translation

Para além dos vinte e três princípios (tattvas) fala-se da Prakṛti superior (Parā-Prakṛti), a Natureza causal sutil. E para além de Prakṛti, declaram que o vigésimo quinto princípio é Puruṣa, o si consciente.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle/quotative), इत्यर्थे “thus/so”

• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: in the Śrī Śiva Mahāpurāṇa
• श्री-शिव-महा-पुराणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (विशेष्य-विशेषणसम्बन्धः)

• षष्ठ्याम्: in the sixth (book)
• षष्ठ्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; क्रमवाचकविशेषणम् (ordinal)

• कैलास-संहितायाम्: in the Kailāsa-saṃhitā
• कैलास-संहितायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैलास (प्रातिपदिक) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कैलासस्य संहिता)

• प्रणव-अर्थ-पद्धति-वर्णनम्: the description of the method of the meaning of Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणव-अर्थ-पद्धति-वर्णनम्: Karta (कर्ता/subject—title)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + पद्धति (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्णन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (निर्देश्यम्/शीर्षकवाचक)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/naming marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), नामार्थे “called/named”

• नवमः: ninth
• नवमः: Visheshana (विशेषण/modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्रमवाचकविशेषणम् (ordinal)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Shiva (teaching as the supreme Guru in the Kailāsa philosophical discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Prakriti
• Purusha
• Tattvas

FAQs

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

It outlines a graded ascent of reality: the manifest tattvas are transcended by subtler causal Nature (parā-prakṛti), and even that is surpassed by conscious Puruṣa—preparing the seeker to go further toward Pati (Śiva), the ultimate transcendent Lord.

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

Linga-worship trains the mind to move from gross identification with the body and world (lower tattvas) toward subtle causality (prakṛti) and the witnessing self (puruṣa), culminating in devotion to Śiva as Pati, who is beyond both matter and bound individuality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is tattva-viveka (discriminative meditation): during japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” contemplate stepping back from the 23 manifest principles to prakṛti, then to the witnessing puruṣa, and finally surrendering that puruṣa to Śiva.