Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 9

पञ्चाक्षर-षडक्षरमन्त्र-माहात्म्यम् | The Greatness of the Pañcākṣara/Ṣaḍakṣara Mantra

Devanagari script

मंत्रे षडक्षरे सूक्ष्मे पञ्चब्रह्मतनुः शिवः । वाच्यवाचकभावेन स्थितः साक्षात्स्वभावतः

Transliteration

maṃtre ṣaḍakṣare sūkṣme pañcabrahmatanuḥ śivaḥ | vācyavācakabhāvena sthitaḥ sākṣātsvabhāvataḥ

Translation

في المانترا الدقيقة ذات المقاطع الستة، يقيم شيفا—وجسده هو «البراهما الخمسة»—بحسب طبيعته عينها، حاضرًا حضورًا مباشرًا بوصفه المعنى المُعبَّر عنه (فاجيا) وبوصفه الصوت المُعبِّر (فاجاكا).

Word by Word

• मन्त्रे: in the mantra
• मन्त्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative of location)

• षडक्षरे: in the six-syllabled (mantra)
• षडक्षरे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षड् + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) of मन्त्रे

• सूक्ष्मे: subtle
• सूक्ष्मे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier) of मन्त्रे

• पञ्चब्रह्मतनुः: whose body is the five-Brahma (aspects)
• पञ्चब्रह्मतनुः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + ब्रह्म + तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘यस्य तनुः पञ्चब्रह्म (five Brahma-aspects) सः’; विशेषणम् of शिवः

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृपद (subject)

• वाच्यवाचकभावेन: by/through the relation of signified-and-signifier
• वाच्यवाचकभावेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्य + वाचक + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental of manner/means)

• स्थितः: abides / is established
• स्थितः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘स्थितः’ = ‘is established/abides’ (predicative)

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• स्वभावतः: by (his) own nature
• स्वभावतः: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = ‘-तः’; हेतौ/कारणे (in the sense of cause/origin)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमश्शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya) — here treated as subtle ṣaḍakṣara by inclusion of praṇava in practice (Oṃ + namaḥ śivāya).

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that mantra is not merely a symbol: Śiva is inherently present in it as both sacred sound and realized meaning, so japa becomes direct communion with Pati (the Lord) leading the bound soul toward liberation.

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

Just as the Liṅga is a concrete support for worship, the mantra is a subtle support; in both, Śiva is directly present. The verse emphasizes that His presence is not imagined but grounded in His own nature, accessible through sound-form (mantra) and form-support (liṅga).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice focused mantra-japa of the six-syllabled Śiva-mantra with contemplation of its meaning, meditating that Śiva is simultaneously the recited sound and the inner realization it reveals—ideally alongside traditional Śaiva observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and disciplined purity.