Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 51
पञ्चाक्षरीविद्यायाḥ कलियुगे मोक्षोपायः | The Pañcākṣarī Vidyā as a Means of Liberation in Kali Yuga
नामान्यस्य विजानीयाच्छैवं मे हृदयं महत् । नकारश्शिर उच्येत मकारस्तु शिखोच्यते
nāmānyasya vijānīyācchaivaṃ me hṛdayaṃ mahat | nakāraśśira ucyeta makārastu śikhocyate
Man soll die Namen und den inneren Aufbau dieses großen śivaitischen „Herzens“ von mir erkennen. Die Silbe „na“ heißt das Haupt, und die Silbe „ma“ heißt die śikhā, der Scheitelknoten.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Mantra: न–म–शि–वा–य mapped as aṅgas: na = śiraḥ, ma = śikhā (as taught here)
Type: panchakshara
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches mantra-śarīra-bhāvanā—contemplating the Panchākṣarī as Shiva’s living presence—by mapping syllables to sacred limbs, making japa a direct inner worship of Pati (Shiva).
By treating the mantra as Shiva’s ‘heart’ with a formed structure (head, crown), it supports Saguna-upāsanā: the devotee worships Shiva through a tangible inner form even while aiming toward His transcendent reality.
Perform Panchākṣarī japa with dhyāna: visualize ‘na’ as Shiva’s head and ‘ma’ as His crown/topknot, integrating mantra-recitation with inner nyāsa-like contemplation.