Shloka 5
शब्दब्रह्मतनुवर्णनम् — Description of the Form of Śabda-Brahman
लिंगस्य दक्षिणे भागे तथापश्यत्सनातनम् । आद्यं वर्णमकाराख्यमुकारं चोत्तरं ततः
liṃgasya dakṣiṇe bhāge tathāpaśyatsanātanam | ādyaṃ varṇamakārākhyamukāraṃ cottaraṃ tataḥ
ต่อมา ณ ด้านทิศใต้ของลึงค์ เขาได้เห็นสัจธรรมอันเป็นนิรันดร์: เริ่มด้วยพยางค์ “อะ” และถัดไปเหนือขึ้นไปคือพยางค์ “อุ”
Suta Goswami (narrating the Rudrasaṃhitā account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Not a specific jyotirliṅga-sthala; the passage belongs to the cosmic Liṅga/Praṇava revelation where A and U are visualized on the Liṅga’s sides as the manifesting principle of Oṃ.
Significance: Pilgrimage here is internalized: darśana of the Liṅga as Praṇava is treated as a liberating contemplation leading toward Śiva’s anugraha.
Mantra: A (akāra) and U (ukāra) as components of Oṃ (praṇava) visualized on the Liṅga.
Type: gayatri
Role: teaching
Cosmic Event: Cosmic Liṅga revelation functioning as a creation-discourse (sṛṣṭi-kathā) marker.
FAQs
It presents the Liṅga as a living scripture: the primal sound-seed (Pranava) is perceived as syllabic reality (A and U), pointing to Śiva as the eternal source from whom creation and consciousness arise.
In Saguna worship, the Liṅga is not merely a symbol but a focus where subtle truths become graspable; seeing the primal syllables upon/around the Liṅga teaches that mantra and form are united in Śiva’s presence.
Meditate on the Pranava (A-U-M) in front of the Liṅga—mentally tracing the syllables with reverence—then integrate it with japa of “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” as a contemplative Linga-upāsanā.