Shiv Puran Kailasa Samhita: The Meaning of Om and the Path of Sannyasa

The Kailasa Samhita is the philosophical part of the Shiv Puran. The earlier samhitas tell stories; here the essence behind them is explained: what Om means, what sannyasa is, and how true worship of Shiva happens within.

Parvati's question

On Kailash Parvati asked Shiva: "You have taught many mantras and methods; what is the root of them all?" Shiva answered: "The root of all mantras is the Pranava, Om. Om is my very form, the essence of the Vedas, and liberation comes through knowing it."

The meaning of Om

Om is made of three measures, A, U and M, followed by the half measure, the point and the resonance.

• A: the waking state, creation, Brahma.
• U: the dream state, preservation, Vishnu.
• M: deep sleep, dissolution, Rudra.
• The half measure: turiya, the fourth state beyond all three: pure Shiva.

Chanting Om, the seeker rises beyond these states into the silence that follows it. So Om is called the taraka, the mantra that carries one across.

Vamadeva and Kartikeya

The great sage Vamadeva asked Kartikeya (Skanda) on Kailash about the Pranava and the nature of Shiva. Skanda explained that Shiva is all; there is in truth no difference between the soul and Shiva, only the veil of ignorance. As the space inside a pot and the space outside are one, the consciousness in the body and the supreme Shiva are one.

The way of sannyasa

The samhita describes how to take sannyasa: first detachment, then initiation from a guru, then giving up the ties of the former life, and constant repetition of Om. It also says that true renunciation is not in outward dress but in giving up ego and attachment. A householder too can meditate on Shiva while inwardly unattached.

Inner worship of Shiva

Outer worship (water, bilva leaves, aarti) is the beginning; its final form is inner worship:

• Make the heart the temple, the mind the linga and devotion the water.
• Offer the objects of the senses to Shiva like flowers.
• Hold the feeling "so 'ham" or "Shivo 'ham" with the breath.
• See Shiva in all beings and serve them.

Shivoham: I am Shiva

The final message of the Kailasa Samhita: the seeker who knows the meaning of Om and by the guru's grace experiences Shiva within says "Shivo 'ham", I am Shiva. This is not ego but its complete dissolution, for in place of "I" only Shiva remains.

What this samhita teaches

• Om is the simplest and deepest mantra; a few minutes of it daily calms the mind.
• True renunciation is a state of mind, not a dress.
• Begin with outer worship, but carry it to worship within.
• A part of Shiva is in every being, so service is the highest worship.