Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 86

द्वितीयतृतीयावरणपूजाक्रमः | The Sequence of the Second and Third Enclosure Worship (Āvaraṇa-pūjā)

Devanagari script

ततः स्तोत्रमुपास्यान्ते त्वष्टोत्तरशतावराम् । जपेत्पञ्चाक्षरीं विद्यां सहस्रोत्तरमुत्सुकः

Transliteration

tataḥ stotramupāsyānte tvaṣṭottaraśatāvarām | japetpañcākṣarīṃ vidyāṃ sahasrottaramutsukaḥ

Translation

ثمّ عند ختام العبادة ينبغي أن يُتلى النشيدُ المبارك بخشوع مئةً وثمانيَ مرات؛ ثمّ، بشوقٍ تعبّديّ، يُكرَّرُ جَپًا المانترا المقدّسة ذات الخمس مقاطع ألفًا وثمانيَ مرات.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of sequence; meaning 'thereafter'

• stotram: hymn
• stotram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• upāsya: having worshipped
• upāsya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ās (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Gerund/Absolutive (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), 'having worshipped/served' (उपास्य = उप + आस् + ल्यप्)

• ante: at the end
• ante: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) / Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) usage; Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvaṣṭā-uttara-śata-avarām: the (series) of 108 (epithets) beginning with Tvaṣṭā
• tvaṣṭā-uttara-śata-avarām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvaṣṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक) + avarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound qualifying an implied 'mālā/stuti/vidyā' etc.; sense: 'of 108 (names) beginning with Tvaṣṭā'

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• pañca-akṣarīm: five-syllabled
• pañca-akṣarīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); Dvigu (द्विगु) compound meaning 'five-syllabled'

• vidyām: mantra/vidyā
• vidyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sahasra-uttaram: a thousand (and more) times
• sahasra-uttaram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) used adverbially/quantitatively; Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); Tatpuruṣa: 'with an additional thousand' i.e., '1000+ (times)'

• utsukaḥ: eager
• utsukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: utsuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Establishes a concrete sādhana-krama: stotra-japa (108) followed by pañcākṣarī-japa (1008), a widely used template for temple worship and home practice to invite Śiva’s grace.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It prescribes a disciplined completion of Shiva-upasana: praise (stotra) and then concentrated japa of the Panchakshara, indicating that devotion matures into mantra-centered inner absorption leading toward Shiva’s grace and liberation.

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

The verse reflects a standard Shaiva pūjā sequence—external worship culminates in stotra and mantra-japa—showing how Saguna worship (ritual praise and offering) is sealed by the mantra that internalizes the presence of Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Recite a Shiva stotra in 108 counts and then perform Panchakshara japa for 1008 repetitions, ideally as focused meditation (dhyāna) after pūjā.