Adhyaya 17: लिङ्गोद्भव—ब्रह्मविष्ण्वहङ्कार-शमनं, ओंकार-प्रादुर्भावः, मन्त्र-तत्त्वं च
तदा समभवत्तत्र नादो वै शब्दलक्षणः ओमोमिति सुरश्रेष्ठाः सुव्यक्तः प्लुतलक्षणः
tadā samabhavattatra nādo vai śabdalakṣaṇaḥ omomiti suraśreṣṭhāḥ suvyaktaḥ plutalakṣaṇaḥ
అప్పుడు అక్కడే శబ్దస్వరూపమైన ఆద్య నాదం ఉద్భవించింది; దేవశ్రేష్ఠులు దానిని స్పష్టంగా ‘ఓం, ఓం’ అనే దీర్ఘ గంభీర ధ్వనిగా గ్రహించారు।
Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga’s manifestation to the sages of Naimisharanya)
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.
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.
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.