Shloka 49

अध्याय 91: अरिष्ट-लक्षण, मृत्यु-संस्कार, पाशुपत-धारणा तथा ओङ्कार-उपासना

Devanagari script

तथौंकारमयो योगी त्व् अक्षरी त्वक्षरी भवेत् प्रणवो धनुः शरो ह्यात्मा ब्रह्मलक्षणमुच्यते

Transliteration

tathauṃkāramayo yogī tv akṣarī tvakṣarī bhavet praṇavo dhanuḥ śaro hyātmā brahmalakṣaṇamucyate

Translation

因此，瑜伽行者若以神圣一音“唵”（Oṁ）为体，便安住于不坏者之中。所谓普罗那瓦（Praṇava）为弓，自我（Ātman）为箭——此即被宣说为梵（Brahman）的标相。

Word by Word

• tathā: thus

• auṃkāra-mayaḥ: constituted of Oṁ (Praṇava)

• yogī: yogin

• tu: indeed

• akṣarī: one established in the Imperishable (Akṣara)

• akṣarī bhavet: becomes/attains the state of Akṣara

• praṇavaḥ: the Praṇava (Oṁ)

• dhanuḥ: bow

• śaraḥ: arrow

• hi: indeed

• ātmā: the Self (inner consciousness)

• brahma-lakṣaṇam: the characteristic/mark of Brahman

• ucyate: is said/declared

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the teaching as part of the Linga Purana discourse)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahman
• Atman

FAQs

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

It internalizes Linga-upāsanā: worship is not only external installation but also Pranava-centered contemplation, where the seeker aligns the inner Self with the Supreme (Pati) through Oṁ.

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

By pointing to the Akṣara-Brahman realized through Praṇava, it indicates Shiva as the Imperishable Reality beyond pasha (bondage), the ultimate Brahman-lakṣaṇa grasped in yogic absorption.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Praṇava-japa and dhyāna: using Oṁ as the ‘bow’ and directing the ātmā as the ‘arrow’ toward Brahman—an inward Pāśupata-style discipline of concentration leading to liberation.