The Pranava – Shiva Purana

In the chapters 9, 14 & 15 of Section 5 of Kailash-saṃhita of Shiva Purana, Shiva informed about the Pranava.

The Shivatva and Shaktitva is present in the great Atman. The bliss from the union of Shiva and Shakti is ever rising. Sinless ascetics attain untainted auspiciousness.

​The meaning of the letter ‘Sa’ in Hamsa is Shiva. The Shakti form is expressed by the great Mantra.
Another word in Vedas, “Prajnanam” is a synonym of consciousness. Chaitanya is the freedom in respect of the knowledge and activity of everything in the universe. In another aphorism of Shiva viz; “Jnanaṃ Bandhaḥ” the lord speaks of the nature of individual souls.
Shiva Shakti & its Veils:

The five Shakti (veils) of Shiva are: activity, knowledge, completeness, eternality and pervasiveness. There are five tattvas of the individual soul, viz, Kalaa (the veil of time), Vidyaa (the veil of limited knowledge), Raga (the veil of desire), Kaala (the veil of being limited) and Niyati (the veil of causality). Kalaa is the cause of doing anything. Vidyaa is the means of certain Tattvas. Raga is the attachment to the sense-objects. Kaala is the illuminator of positive and negative appearances. Niyati means the factor that discriminates and ordains. This set of five is called “the five sheaths” in view of its nature of enveloping the form. It is the innermost and most essential means.
Knowledge & Activity:

The word Jnana refers to power of knowledge and activity. These reaching the Centre of the mind become the object of perception on the part of sense-organs the individual soul enters these, then knows and acts. It is certain that the union of Shiva and Shakti is the great Atman. From Para Shakti is born the chit Shakti. Born of it is the power of bliss. The power of will is born of that. From this is born the power of knowledge and from this is born the power of activity, the fifth one.

Pranava:
Nada and Bindu are born of chit and Ananda Shaktis (power of bliss). The letter ‘ma’ is born of Icchashakti (power of desire). The fifth vowel ‘U’ is born of Jnana Shakti (power of knowledge) and the letter ‘A’ is born of Kriyashakti (power of action). The origin of the Praṇava has been mentioned thus.
The five elements beginning with the ether are born of this set of five letters of the Praṇava which constitute pairs based on the relationship of the word and its meaning. Akasha has the only attribute of sound. The wind has the two: sound and touch. The fire has three: sound, touch and colour. The water has four: sound, touch; colour and taste. The earth has five: sound, touch, colour, taste and smell. This is the Vyapakatva (pervasiveness) of the Bhutas. The Vyapakatva is in the inverse order beginning with smell. The five Bhutas constitute the universe. Virat is the composite form of all. The universe is thus created. It begins with the element of the earth and ends with the element of Shiva. After merging with each other they merge in the individual soul ultimately. Accompanied by the energy it comes out again for the purpose of creation. It appears in the form of the gross cosmos and functions till the period of dissolution. The primeval oozing of Shiva who attempts to create the universe at his will is called Shiva tattva.
Pranava expressive of Shiva is taught through yantra. It is the composite of five letters. The four viz, Bindu etc. constitute the form of yantra in the Shaiva cult. Pranava is the highest Mantra—the very Shiva himself.

Sixfold perfect knowledge of The Pranava:
Perfect knowledge comprises the meaning of Pranava by realising the unity of six topics. The first topic is the mantra; the second Yantra; the third deity; the fourth the cosmos; the fifth the preceptor; the sixth the Atman of the disciple.

1. Mantra - The first and the fifth vowels, the fifth letter of the fifth class of consonants, Bindu and Nada these five letters are mentioned by the Vedas. The initial mantra of the Vedas i.e. Oṃ is of the composite form. Nada too is the composite of all. The set of four with Bindu as the fifth is established as Vyaṣṭi in the Pranava that expresses Shiva.
2. Yantra - Beneath all, the pedestal shall be drawn; then the first vowel—A; then the letter U, the final letter of the class of Pa i.e. Ma followed by Bindu and Nada. When the Yantra becomes perfect, all desires are achieved.
3. Deities - The five deities shall be known comprising the subtle form of Brahman. These are enlarged in the form of the idol of Shiva too. Shiva has five faces i.e., Sadyojata (Creation), Vamadeva (Preservation), Aghora (Dissolution), Tatpurusha (Concealment) and Ishana (Grace). The five faces of Shiva are not just representations of his divine powers but also profound symbols of deeper philosophical and spiritual truths in Hinduism. This set of five is the ‘wheel of blessing’. It is the same as Brahman. It is subtle; free from aberration and ailment.
4. Cosmos - This region is attainable by the pious ascetics who worship Sadashiva, with the minds fixed on the Praṇava. There is no higher region than that of Shiva. This universe is only an extension of the five Brahmans. Nivṛtti and the Kalas are the offshoots of five Brahmans. They are in the form of subtle elements well known as causes. The set of five Brahmans is the cause of gross cosmos. Puruṣa, ear, speech, sound and ether, this set of five is pervaded by the Brahman in the form of Ishana. Prakriti, skin, hand, sense of touch and wind, this set of five is pervaded by Brahman as Purusha. The ego, eye, foot, colour and fire, this set of five is pervaded by Aghora Brahman. The intellect, tongue, arms, taste and water is pervaded by the Brahman Vamadeva. The mind, nose, organ of generation, smell and earth is pervaded by the Brahman Sadya. The whole universe is identical with the five Brahmans.

Forms of Shiva:
Shiva is also called by the following eight names — Shiva, Maheshvara, Rudra, Vishnu, Pitamaha, Saṃsaravaidya, Saravajna, Paramatman. Due to the antecedent non-existence of the contact with the primordial Avidya he is naturally pure-souled and is called Shiva. Mahashvara means beyond Prakriti & Purusha; Rudra means dispeller of misery; Pitamaha means father of the Trinity which in turn is the cause of the universe. Shiva is called Vishnu because he pervades the principles of Shiva ending with the earth and the bodies, pots etc. Shiva is called Samsaravaidya (Physician) as He is the cause of dissolution, sustenance and origin of the world as well as the router of the gross. Shiva is also called Sarvajna (Omnicient) as He knows every existent object naturally, even though he has no sense-organs yielding the knowledge of all existent objects. Shiva is the Parmatman (great Atman) because he is the Atman of all, he is for ever endowed with the great qualities and there is no greater Atman than him.

Worship of Shiva by means of Pranava:
After eulogising Mahadeva, identical with Pranava, the imperishable and offering gifts on the head of Ishana, he worships the lord with the purity of mind, by means of the Pranava. He shall then take a handful of flowers, join palms in reverence, inhale through the left nostril, identifying the inhaled air with Shiva and exhale through the right nostril bidding the ritualistic adieu to the goddess. He shall realise the identity of Shiva with himself. “I am Shiva alone.” He shall make the ritualistic dismissal of the deities conceived in the heart. After worshipping the lore and the preceptor he shall fix in the heart the mantras of the conch and the vessel of Arghya.

After consigning the remnants of the floral offerings to Candesha in the north-east quarter he shall restrain the vital breath and utter the names of the sages. This Maṇḍala is technically known as Kailasaprastara. This shall be worshipped every day, or every fortnight, or every month or once in six months or once in a year or during the Chaturmasya festival. A theist shall necessarily worship my Linga every day.

On the day of initiation, he shall worship the Linga along with the preceptor and bow thrice in front of the preceptor: “Till my death I shall worship Shiva”.

He shall pour water from Argha above on the top of Linga. After worshipping it with Praṇava he shall offer incense and the lamp. After propitiating Canda in the north-east he shall offer Nirmalya. Repeating the Pranava he shall put a flower on the top of the Linga. He shall mentally conceive everythig from the Adhara Shakti to the seat of the holy lore and install the supreme god.
He shall perform the ablution of the lord with Panchagavya etc. or with holy water rendered fragrant with scented articles repeating the mantras from the Ṛg or Samaveda such as “Pavamana” “Rudra” “Nila” or “Tvarita” along with the five Brahmans. The Praṇava or the name of Shiva can be used as mantra. The ablution shall be made with the Arghya water repeating the Praṇava. After wiping the Linga with a piece of cloth he shall put a flower on the top. After installing the Linga on the pedestal, he shall perform the worship of the sun.

He shall worship the Adharashakti and Ananta beneath the pedestal. After worshipping the throne duly with the lower and upper lid he shall worship Skanda on the foot of the Piṭha. After conceiving Shiva in the Linga, he shall worship Shiva along with Parvati.
This is a great secret. It illuminates the meaning of the Pranava. Leading to the knowledge of Shiva it destroys all your miseries.