Shloka 6

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

Devanagari script

सर्वार्थसाधकं तस्मादेकं ब्रह्मैतदक्षरम् । तेनोमिति जगत्कृस्नं कुरुते प्रथमं शिवः

Transliteration

sarvārthasādhakaṃ tasmādekaṃ brahmaitadakṣaram | tenomiti jagatkṛsnaṃ kurute prathamaṃ śivaḥ

Translation

కాబట్టి ఈ ఒక్క అక్షరము—అవినాశి బ్రహ్మమే—సర్వార్థసాధకము. అదే ‘ఓం’ ద్వారా ఆదిలో శివుడు సమస్త జగత్తును సృష్టించి నియమబద్ధం చేస్తాడు।

Word by Word

• sarva-artha-sādhakam: accomplishing all aims
• sarva-artha-sādhakam: Visheshya-predicative (विशेष्य-विशेषणभाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + sādhaka (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective for brahma

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu (हेतु/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially ‘therefore/from that’

• ekam: one
• ekam: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahma: Brahman
• brahma: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• etat: this
• etat: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative agreeing with brahma

• akṣaram: the imperishable syllable
• akṣaram: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to brahma

• tena: by that/thereby
• tena: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially ‘by that/thereby’

• om: Oṃ
• om: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: Sacred syllable; indeclinable (अव्यय)

• iti: thus (as)
• iti: Vākyārtha-marker (इति/Quotation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात) marking the form uttered

• jagat-kṛtsnam: the entire universe
• jagat-kṛtsnam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtsna (प्रातिपदिक) (समास)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kurute: makes/creates
• kurute: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ātmanepada

• prathamam: first/at the beginning
• prathamam: Kāla/krama (काल/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prathama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (द्वितीया-अव्ययीभाव) ‘first/at first’

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadyojāta

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara

Sthala Purana: Oṃkāra as self-manifest sign of Śiva: the hill/island shaped like ‘Oṃ’ where Śiva is worshipped as Oṃkāreśvara; the Purāṇic motif links Praṇava with Śiva’s primordial creative ordering.

Significance: Darśana of Oṃkāra-svarūpa Śiva; merit of śiva-bhakti and purification through Narmadā-snāna and liṅga-darśana.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: ॐ

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Cosmic origination/ordering (sṛṣṭi-krama) through Praṇava as causal sound

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahman
• Om

FAQs

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

It teaches that the imperishable syllable Oṁ is not merely a sound but the supreme, all-fulfilling Reality (Brahman), through which Śiva manifests and governs the cosmos; meditating on Oṁ aligns the soul (paśu) toward Pati (Śiva) and liberation.

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

Oṁ functions as the subtle seed (bīja) of Śiva’s presence; in Linga worship it sanctifies the ritual as Śiva’s creative power, linking the formless (nirguṇa) truth of Brahman with the worshipable (saguṇa) form of Śiva in the Linga.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa and dhyāna of Oṁ (praṇava) as Śiva’s creative and liberating vibration—performed before or along with Śiva-pūjā—especially as a preparatory practice for deeper mantra-sādhana such as the Panchākṣarī.