Shloka 22

Vāmadeva-mata: Rahasya-upadeśa

The Esoteric Teaching of Vāmadeva’s Doctrine

Devanagari script

वामदेव उवाच । ॐ नमः प्रणवार्थाय प्रणवार्थविधायिने । प्रणवाक्षरबीजाय प्रण वाय नमोनमः

Transliteration

vāmadeva uvāca | oṃ namaḥ praṇavārthāya praṇavārthavidhāyine | praṇavākṣarabījāya praṇa vāya namonamaḥ

Translation

瓦摩提婆说道：“唵——顶礼那位即是般若瓦（Praṇava，唵）之真义者；顶礼那位制定并开显般若瓦之义者；顶礼那位为般若瓦诸音节之种子（bīja）者；顶礼那位自身即般若瓦者。顶礼，再三顶礼。”

Word by Word

• वामदेवः: Vāmadeva
• वामदेवः: कर्ता (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: क्रिया (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/लिट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ॐ: Oṃ
• ॐ: सम्बोधन/मङ्गल (Invocation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ॐ (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: प्रणव-स्वर (sacred syllable), अव्यय

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/समर्पण (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable interjection); दत्तिः—‘salutation’

• प्रणव-अर्थाय: to the meaning of Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणव-अर्थाय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘meaning of praṇava’), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• प्रणव-अर्थ-विधायिने: to the establisher of the meaning of Praṇava
• प्रणव-अर्थ-विधायिने: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव + अर्थ + विधायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative; ‘one who ordains/establishes the meaning of praṇava’), पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• प्रणव-अक्षर-बीजाय: to the seed-syllable (bīja) of Praṇava
• प्रणव-अक्षर-बीजाय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव + अक्षर + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (determinative; ‘seed-syllable of praṇava’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• प्रणवाय: to Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवाय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: सम्बोधन/समर्पण (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: निपातवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable interjection)

• नमः: salutation (again)
• नमः: सम्बोधन/समर्पण (Salutation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

Speaker

Vāmadeva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: ॐ नमः प्रणवार्थाय प्रणवार्थविधायिने । प्रणवाक्षरबीजाय प्रणवाय नमोनमः

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Shiva as both the transcendent Reality (the meaning behind Oṁ) and the immanent revealer of that meaning—Pati who grants liberating knowledge through mantra, aligning devotion (bhakti) with inner realization.

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

Even when Shiva is worshipped in a Saguna form such as the Linga, this hymn teaches that the mantra Oṁ points beyond form to Shiva’s supreme essence; the Linga becomes the support (ālambana) for contemplating the formless truth signified by Praṇava.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa and dhyāna of Oṁ (Praṇava) with reverence—repeating the mantra while contemplating Shiva as the source, meaning, and power (bīja) of sacred sound.