Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

नानासिद्धियुतं दिव्यं लोकचित्तानुरंजकम् । सुनिश्चितार्थं गंभीरं वाक्यं तत्पारमेश्वरम्

Transliteration

nānāsiddhiyutaṃ divyaṃ lokacittānuraṃjakam | suniścitārthaṃ gaṃbhīraṃ vākyaṃ tatpārameśvaram

Translation

Jenes Wort des höchsten Herrn (Parameśvara) war göttlich, mit vielen Siddhis begabt, und erfreute den Geist aller Wesen; seine Bedeutung war sicher festgestellt und sein Gehalt tiefgründig.

Word by Word

• nānā-siddhi-yutam: endowed with many attainments
• nānā-siddhi-yutam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nānā (नाना, अव्ययवत्) + siddhi (सिद्धि) + yuta (युत) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa ‘endowed with various siddhis’; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• divyam: divine
• divyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• loka-citta-anuraṃjakam: pleasing to people’s minds
• loka-citta-anuraṃjakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: loka (लोक) + citta (चित्त) + anuraṃjaka (अनुरंजक) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa ‘delighting the minds of people’; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• su-niścita-artham: with well-ascertained meaning
• su-niścita-artham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (सु) + niścita (निश्चित; √ci धातु से क्त, नि-उपसर्ग) + artha (अर्थ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa ‘having well-determined meaning’; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• gaṃbhīram: profound
• gaṃbhīram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṃbhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• vākyam: statement/utterance
• vākyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative, 1st), Ekavacana

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• pārameśvaram: supreme-lordly / pertaining to Parameśvara
• pārameśvaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pārameśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parameshvara

FAQs

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

It praises Parameśvara’s teaching as divinely potent and deeply certain in meaning—implying that Shiva’s revealed instruction cuts through pasha (bondage) by giving the pashu (individual soul) a clear, authoritative path toward liberation.

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

In Shaiva practice, Saguna worship (such as Linga-puja) is guided and sanctified by Shiva’s own ‘vākya’—scriptural utterance and mantra—whose power delights the mind and steadies devotion, making ritual an inwardly transformative act rather than mere outward form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The verse supports śravaṇa (devout listening/recitation) of Shiva’s teachings and mantra-japa with steady meaning (niścita-artha), especially contemplation on Shiva as Parameśvara while repeating the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—with a calm, focused mind.