Shloka 15

उमामहेश्वरव्रतं—पञ्चाक्षरमन्त्रस्य माहात्म्यं, न्यासः, जपविधिः, सदाचारः, विनियोगः

Devanagari script

तान्पञ्चवदनैर्गृह्णन् ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः वाच्यवाचकभावेन ज्ञातवान्परमेश्वरम्

Transliteration

tānpañcavadanairgṛhṇan brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ vācyavācakabhāvena jñātavānparameśvaram

Translation

梵天以其五面领受彼等，作为诸世界之祖父，因辨明“所诠”(vācya)与“能诠”(vācaka)之关系，而得以认识至上主帕拉梅湿伐罗。

Word by Word

• तान् (tān): them

• पञ्चवदनैः (pañcavadanaiḥ): with (his) five faces

• गृह्णन् (gṛhṇan): receiving, taking up

• ब्रह्मा (brahmā): Brahmā

• लोकपितामहः (lokapitāmahaḥ): the grandsire of the worlds

• वाच्यवाचकभावेन (vācyavācaka-bhāvena): by the principle/relation of meaning (what is denoted) and word (what denotes)

• ज्ञातवान् (jñātavān): came to know, realized

• परमेश्वरम् (parameśvaram): Parameśvara, the Supreme Lord (Śiva as Pati).

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the episode involving Brahma)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma
• Shiva

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It frames Śiva as the ultimate meaning (vācyā) behind all mantra and the very power of signification (vācaka), implying that Linga-pūjā succeeds when worship joins sound, meaning, and inner realization of Pati.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is indicated as Parameśvara who transcends mere verbal labels yet is knowable through the mantra–meaning nexus: He is both the referent of sacred speech and the ground enabling speech to reveal truth, consistent with Shaiva Siddhanta’s Pati as supreme consciousness.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Mantra-japa with bhāvanā (contemplation of meaning): aligning vācaka (mantra) with vācyā (Śiva as Pati) is the inner discipline that supports Pāśupata-oriented worship and loosens pāśa (bondage) upon the paśu (soul).