Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8
षडध्व-शुद्धिः
Purification of the Six Adhvans / Sixfold Cosmic Path
मंत्राध्वनि न गण्येत तथासौ मंत्रनायकः । कलाध्वनो व्यापकत्वं व्याप्यत्वं चेतराध्वनाम्
maṃtrādhvani na gaṇyeta tathāsau maṃtranāyakaḥ | kalādhvano vyāpakatvaṃ vyāpyatvaṃ cetarādhvanām
لا ينبغي عدُّ طريق المانترا فئةً مستقلة؛ وكذلك السيد القائم على المانترا ليس غير شيفا. أمّا طريق الكَلا (Kalā) فهو الشاملُ المُحيط، وسائر الطرق فهي المُحاطُ بها.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva metaphysics to the sages at Naimisharanya in the Vayu Samhita context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches a Shaiva metaphysical hierarchy: mantra ultimately resolves into Shiva, the Mantra-nāyaka (Lord of mantra), while the kalā-principle is described as pervading—indicating a subtler, more comprehensive level that underlies and permeates other enumerated paths.
In Linga/Saguna worship, mantra is not merely a sound-form but a direct approach to Shiva as the presiding consciousness of mantra. The verse supports the view that mantra-japa and Linga-upasana are efficacious because Shiva himself is the inner Lord of mantra, not separate from its power.
Mantra-japa with Shiva-bhavana (recognizing Shiva as the Mantra-nāyaka) is implied: recite the Panchakshara or Shiva-mantras with the contemplation that the mantra’s potency is Shiva’s own pervasion, not merely an external formula.