Shloka 51

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

Devanagari script

आद्यवर्णमकारं तु उकारं चोत्तरे ततः मकारं मध्यतश्चैव नादान्तं तस्य चौमिति

Transliteration

ādyavarṇamakāraṃ tu ukāraṃ cottare tataḥ makāraṃ madhyataścaiva nādāntaṃ tasya caumiti

Translation

ఆద్యవర్ణము ‘అ’; దాని ఉత్తరమున ‘ఉ’; మధ్యమున ‘మ’ నిలిచియుండి, అంతమున సూక్ష్మ నాదముగా పరిపక్వమగును. ఇదే సమస్తము ‘ఓం’—ప్రణవము—పతి శివుని శబ్దస్వరూపము.

Word by Word

• ādya-varṇam: the first phoneme/sound

• akāram: the sound ‘A’

• tu: indeed

• ukāram: the sound ‘U’

• ca: and

• uttare tataḥ: thereafter/next in sequence

• makāram: the sound ‘M’

• madhyataḥ: in the middle

• ca eva: and indeed

• nāda-antam: ending in nāda (subtle resonance)

• tasya: of that (Pranava)

• ca: and

• om iti: as ‘Om’

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching on Pranava to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Om (Pranava)
• Nada

FAQs

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

It anchors Linga-upāsanā in Pranava-sādhana: ‘Om’ (A-U-M with nāda) is presented as the sonic body of Pati (Śiva), making mantra-japa and nāda-anuśandhāna a core support for Linga-pūjā.

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

Śiva-tattva is indicated as transcending gross sound yet approachable as Pranava—moving from articulated letters (A-U-M) into subtle nāda, mirroring the ascent from pasha-bound pashu toward the supreme Pati.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Japa of ‘Om’ with contemplation of its stages—A, U, M, and the dissolving nāda—i.e., a Pāśupata-aligned meditative practice of inner resonance (nāda) supporting mantra and Linga-upāsanā.