Shloka 13

Praṇava-Māhātmya and the Twofold Mantra (Sūkṣma–Sthūla) in Śaiva Sādhanā

Devanagari script

अकारश्च उकारश्च मकारश्च ततः परम् । बिंदुनादयुतं तद्धि शब्दकालकलान्वितम्

Transliteration

akāraśca ukāraśca makāraśca tataḥ param | biṃdunādayutaṃ taddhi śabdakālakalānvitam

Translation

‘อะ’, ‘อุ’, และ ‘มะ’—และยิ่งไปกว่านั้นคือปรณวะ; ท่านประกอบด้วยบินทุและนาทะ และทรงพร้อมด้วยเสียง กาลเวลา และกะลา (พลังการปรากฏอันละเอียด)

Word by Word

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

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• उकारः: the letter ‘u’
• उकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• मकारः: the letter ‘m’
• मकारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), ‘thereafter/from that’

• परम्: the next/that which is beyond
• परम्: Vidheyavisheshana (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; used predicatively ‘the next/supreme’

• बिन्दु-नाद-युतम्: joined with bindu and nāda
• बिन्दु-नाद-युतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बिन्दु (प्रातिपदिक) + नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (binda + nāda as a pair) with past participle ‘yuta’ (‘joined with’); प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; refers to ‘param’/pranava-form

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), emphasis

• शब्द-काल-कला-अन्वितम्: endowed with sound, time, and kalā
• शब्द-काल-कला-अन्वितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (śabda+ kāla+ kalā as a set) with past participle ‘anvita’ (‘endowed with’); प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s doctrine of Praṇava as taught in the Vidyeśvara context)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Oṃkāreśvara

Sthala Purana: Oṃkāra as the primordial liṅga-sound: the kṣetra is celebrated as the place where Śiva is worshipped in the form of Oṃ (Praṇava), making the mantra itself a tīrtha of realization.

Significance: Pilgrimage is framed as entering the Praṇava-mandala—purification of speech and mind, and deepening of japa into nāda-anusandhāna.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: Oṃ (Praṇava) analyzed as A-U-M with ‘beyond’ (amātrā), accompanied by bindu and nāda.

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalitā

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines Praṇava (Om) as not merely A-U-M, but as the living mantric form endowed with bindu and nāda—point and resonance—through which consciousness, time, and divine power (kalā) become spiritually accessible for liberation-oriented meditation.

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

In Śaiva practice, the Liṅga is worshipped with mantra as Śiva’s audible form (śabda-brahman). This verse explains Om as a complete mantric body—A-U-M plus bindu-nāda—supporting Saguna worship (ritual recitation, japa) while pointing to the transcendent ‘beyond’ (tataḥ param) of Nirguṇa Śiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Praṇava-japa with inner listening to nāda: chant Om (or prefix it to ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’), then contemplate the bindu as a steady point of awareness and the nāda as subtle resonance, aligning breath and attention for Śiva-dhyāna.