Shloka 57

Paramātma-Svarūpa-Nirṇaya: Strī–Puṃ–Napuṃsaka-Vicāra

Inquiry into the Supreme Self and Gendered Forms

Devanagari script

स्वरः क्रियाशक्तिजातो ह्यकारस्तु मुनीश्वर । इत्युक्ता प्रणवोत्पत्तिः पंचब्रह्मोद्भवं शृणु

Transliteration

svaraḥ kriyāśaktijāto hyakārastu munīśvara | ityuktā praṇavotpattiḥ paṃcabrahmodbhavaṃ śṛṇu

Translation

ข้าแต่มุนีผู้เป็นใหญ่ เสียงสระคืออักษร ‘อะ’ บังเกิดจากกริยา-ศักติ (พลังแห่งการกระทำ) ดังนี้ได้กล่าวถึงกำเนิดแห่งปรณวะ (โอม) แล้ว; บัดนี้จงฟังการปรากฏของมันอันเกิดจากปัญจพรหม (ห้าพรหมแห่งศิวะ) เถิด

Word by Word

• स्वरः: sound; vowel-tone
• स्वरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• क्रियाशक्तिजातः: born from the power of action
• क्रियाशक्तिजातः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया + शक्ति + जात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘क्रियाशक्त्या जातः’ तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘स्वरः’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अकारः: the letter ‘a’
• अकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but; and indeed
• तु: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)

• मुनीश्वर: O lord of sages
• मुनीश्वर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘मुनीनां ईश्वरः’ षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• इति: thus
• इति: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-समाप्तिसूचक (quotative)

• उक्ता: has been stated
• उक्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• प्रणवोत्पत्तिः: the origin of the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवोत्पत्तिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव + उत्पत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘प्रणवस्य उत्पत्तिः’ षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• पञ्चब्रह्मोद्भवम्: the arising from the five Brahmas
• पञ्चब्रह्मोद्भवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + ब्रह्मन् + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पञ्चब्रह्मणः उद्भवम्’ षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It frames Oṃ (Praṇava) as a Shaiva revelation: sound arises from Śiva’s śakti, and the mantra-principle is rooted in the fivefold Śiva (Pañcabrahma), guiding the seeker from ritual action toward liberating knowledge.

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

Pañcabrahma is commonly contemplated as the five faces/aspects of Saguna Śiva that sanctify Linga worship; meditating on Oṃ as arising from these aspects integrates mantra-japa with Linga-upāsanā.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is Praṇava-japa (Oṃ) with contemplation of Pañcabrahma—beginning from ‘A’ as the impulse of kriyā-śakti—performed as a focused meditation before or during Śiva-pūjā.