Shloka 5

प्रणवमहिमा — The Greatness of the Praṇava (Om) as Śiva

Devanagari script

यदस्ति वस्तु तत्सर्वं गुणप्राधान्ययोगतः । समस्तं व्यस्त मपि च प्रणवार्थं प्रचक्षते

Transliteration

yadasti vastu tatsarvaṃ guṇaprādhānyayogataḥ | samastaṃ vyasta mapi ca praṇavārthaṃ pracakṣate

Translation

ఏది ఏదైనా తత్త్వంగా ఉన్నదో, అది గుణప్రాధాన్యయోగముచేత—సమష్టిగా గానీ వ్యష్టిగా గానీ—అంతటినీ ప్రణవ ‘ఓం’ యొక్క అర్థమని జ్ఞానులు ప్రకటిస్తారు।

Word by Word

• yat: whatever (that which)
• yat: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun (यत्)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• vastu: entity/thing
• vastu: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative used adjectivally

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); adjective agreeing with vastu

• guṇa-prādhānya-yogataḥ: due to the predominance of qualities
• guṇa-prādhānya-yogataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: guṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + prādhānya (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Ablative in sense (पञ्चमी-अर्थे) adverbial: -tas (तः) forming avyaya; ‘because of/owing to’

• samastam: as a whole/collectively
• samastam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vyastam: as separate/individually
• vyastam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• praṇava-artham: the meaning of Praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-artham: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘praṇavasya arthaḥ’ → object of pracakṣate

• pracakṣate: they declare/describe
• pracakṣate: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+cakṣ (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन); parasmaipada

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Om (Praṇava)

FAQs

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

It teaches that Oṃ is not merely a sound-symbol but the comprehensive pointer to all manifested experience shaped by the guṇas—both as the universe seen as one whole and as the many individual forms—ultimately leading the seeker back to Pati (Shiva) as the supreme ground of meaning.

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

By stating that the entire guṇa-based manifestation is contained within the import of Praṇava, the verse supports saguna worship (such as Linga-upāsanā) as a valid doorway: the devotee contemplates Shiva as present in the totality (samasta) and in each form (vyasta), while recognizing that these are expressions within the field of guṇas.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa and dhyāna of Praṇava (Oṃ)—often joined with Panchākṣarī (“Oṃ Namaḥ Śivāya”)—with contemplation that all experiences, inner and outer, arise within guṇa-conditioned manifestation and are offered back to Shiva as their inner ruler (antaryāmin).