Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20

उपमन्युतपः-निवारणप्रसङ्गः / Śiva restrains Upamanyu’s tapas (Śiva disguised as Indra)

Devanagari script

वायुरुवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा प्राह स मुनिर्जपन्पञ्चाक्षरं मनुम् । मन्यमानो धर्मविघ्नं प्राह तं कर्तुमागतम्

Transliteration

vāyuruvāca | tacchrutvā prāha sa munirjapanpañcākṣaraṃ manum | manyamāno dharmavighnaṃ prāha taṃ kartumāgatam

Translation

Vāyu sprach: Als er dies hörte, redete der Weise, während er unablässig das fünfsilbige Mantra wiederholte. Da er ihn für einen hielt, der gekommen war, das Dharma zu behindern, wandte sich der Weise an ihn.

Word by Word

• vāyuḥ: Vāyu
• vāyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tat: that (speech)
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु) (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त), ‘having heard’

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• muniḥ: sage
• muniḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• japan: muttering/reciting
• japan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √jap (धातु) (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with ‘muniḥ’

• pañca-akṣaram: five-syllabled
• pañca-akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); द्विगु-समास: ‘pañca akṣarāṇi yasya’ (five-syllabled)

• manum: mantra (manu)
• manum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• manyamānaḥ: thinking/considering
• manyamānaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √man (धातु) (शानच्)
• Form: Present middle participle (शानच्), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with ‘saḥ/muniḥ’

• dharma-vighnam: obstacle to dharma
• dharma-vighnam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: ‘dharmasya vighnaḥ’

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), purpose sense

• āgatam: who had come
• āgatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु) (क्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); past participle qualifying ‘tam’

Speaker

Vayu

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Vayu
• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse highlights that steady Panchākṣara-japa aligns the seeker (paśu) with Shiva (Pati) and strengthens dharma, allowing the devotee to recognize and withstand forces that obstruct righteous living and inner clarity.

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

Panchākṣara-japa is a core Saguna Shiva practice: the devotee approaches Shiva through name and mantra, which supports Linga-worship by purifying the mind and turning attention toward Shiva as the accessible, grace-giving Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Continuous mantra-japa of the five-syllabled Shiva mantra (Panchākṣara) is implied—performed with focused awareness as a protective sadhana against dharma-vighna (obstacles to spiritual discipline).