Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

सांगानि वेदशास्त्राणि संस्थितानि षडक्षरे । न तेन सदृशस्तस्मान्मन्त्रो ऽप्यस्त्यपरः क्वचित्

Transliteration

sāṃgāni vedaśāstrāṇi saṃsthitāni ṣaḍakṣare | na tena sadṛśastasmānmantro 'pyastyaparaḥ kvacit

Translation

Die Veden samt ihren Hilfsdisziplinen und alle Lehren der Schriften sind im sechssilbigen Mantra gegründet. Darum gibt es nirgends irgendein anderes Mantra, das ihm gleichkäme.

Word by Word

• sāṃgāni: with auxiliaries (aṅgas)
• sāṃgāni: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa ‘with limbs/auxiliaries’ qualifying ‘śāstrāṇi’

• veda-śāstrāṇi: Vedas and treatises
• veda-śāstrāṇi: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); itaretara-dvandva ‘Vedas and śāstras’

• saṃsthitāni: are established/contained
• saṃsthitāni: Kriyā (क्रिया/स्थित्यर्थ)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√sthā (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; predicate to ‘vedaśāstrāṇi’

• ṣaḍ-akṣare: in the six-syllable (mantra)
• ṣaḍ-akṣare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu ‘in the six-syllabled (mantra)’

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• tena: like that
• tena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); ‘like that’

• sadṛśaḥ: similar
• sadṛśaḥ: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective to ‘mantraḥ’

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तस्मात्-निपातवत्), ‘therefore/from that’

• mantraḥ: mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘also/even’

• asti: exists/is
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• aparaḥ: another
• aparaḥ: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate/qualifier of ‘mantraḥ’

• kvacit: anywhere/ever
• kvacit: Deśa-kāla-adhikaraṇa (देश-काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (अव्यय) ‘anywhere/ever’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Vedas

FAQs

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

It declares that the essence of Veda, Vedāṅga, and śāstra is concentrated in the six-syllabled Shiva-mantra, presenting mantra-japa as a direct, grace-bearing path to purification and liberation under Pati (Shiva).

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

The six-syllabled mantra is traditionally used in Saguna Shiva worship—especially before the Linga—where sound (mantra) and form (Linga) unite, focusing the devotee’s mind and offering devotion that ripens into knowledge of Shiva as the supreme Reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of the six-syllabled Shiva-mantra (commonly understood as “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), ideally with breath-awareness and Linga-dhyāna; it may be supported by Shaiva disciplines like bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids to steadiness and purity.