Brahma and Vishnu, now humble after the lessons of the Jyotirlinga, stood before Shivji as sincere seekers. With reverence, they asked, “O Lord, supreme Brahman, please enlighten us about your cosmic functions, so we may understand your divine essence.
” Shivji, radiating compassion, replied, “Out of love for you, I shall reveal the five sacred tasks that govern the cosmos. I am the eternal cause, and all activities flow from me alone. Creation (sarga), preservation (sthiti), destruction (samhara), concealment (tirobhava), and the granting of grace (anugraha)-these are my five works, manifesting through the elements: creation in earth, preservation in water, destruction in fire, concealment in wind, and grace in firmament. Everything originates in earth, flourishes through water, is consumed by fire, is carried by wind, and is blessed by the space of my favor. These tasks are established in me, for I am the source of all.
” He continued, “To carry out these functions, I possess five faces, each a gateway to cosmic sound. From my northern face emerges ‘Akaar,’ from the western ‘Ukaar,’ from the southern ‘Makaar,’ from the eastern ‘Bindu,’ and from the central ‘Naad.
‘ Together, they form the Pranava, ‘Om,’ a single akshara that embodies my atman-the essence that no other being possesses. Chanting ‘Om’ with devotion aligns the soul with my eternal presence, ensuring one remains in my grace.
” Shivji then revealed the transformative power of Om: “This sacred mantra, born of my five faces, is my speech, my very self. It destroys pride, as it did yours, O Brahma, when you forgot my truth. By remembering me through ‘Om,’ devotees remain connected to me, their hearts purified of ego.
The Panchakshara Mantra, ‘Om Namah Shivaya,’ flows from this, symbolizing my manifest form. It fulfills all desires and guides one toward oneness with me. Chanting it on Chaturdashi, yields infinite rewards, for it resonates with the rhythm of the cosmos.
” Addressing the sacred Lingam, Shivji declared, “I am both Sakal and Nishkal-manifest and formless. My Nishkal essence is the Lingam, my supreme symbol, and my Sakal form is Ishvara, known through idols. Yet the Lingam holds the highest place in my worship, for it ensures devotees are brought to my presence. Those who establish and worship the Lingam with devotion, whether human, rishi, or deva, attain me, their souls united with the infinite.
” Out of affection, Shivji granted Brahma and Vishnu their cosmic roles: “Though your pride once led you astray, I now entrust you with creation and preservation, for you have surrendered to my truth. But remember: let go of ego, for pride brings only downfall. To attain me as Maheshwar, perform japa with the Om Mantra, for it destroys all folly and brings liberation.
” Nandikeshwara concluded, “With Ambika by his side, Shivji assumed the role of Guru, guiding Brahma and Vishnu. The devatas, witnessing this divine exchange, felt the eternal presence of the Maheshwar, whose five tasks sustain the cosmos in perfect harmony.”
When Brahmaji and Vishnuji set aside pride and offered pure devotion, Shivji revealed the deepest secret of all: that he is both with form and without, worshipped as Vigraha and as Lingam, yet truly beyond both. As Ramana Maharshi said of Arunachala, “To think of it is to abide in its grace.” This is the essence of Shiv Ratri-the night when formless light took visible shape, not to dazzle, but to humble.
Shivji teaches that the Divine is not bound by temples or names, but opens to a heart emptied of ego. A single diya lit in love becomes a step toward liberation. To worship the Lingam is to bow to the ininite-not with fear, but with longing.
And when that longing is sincere, Shivji comes close-not as a distant god, but as the very Self within. This is the sacred paradox: the boundless becomes near through love.
In the vast silence of the cosmos, one sound was born-not from lips, but from the Source itself. Shivji revealed it as Om, lowing from his ive faces, each carrying a task of cosmic balance. From that sacred vibration arose.
Om Namah Shivaya, a mantra carrying both form and formlessness. It doesn’t ask us to understand-it invites us to remember. Swami Sivananda said, “Om is the essence of all mantras.” In moments of stillness or despair, this sound can become a doorway. Not to something new, but to what was always there: grace, presence, Shivji.
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