Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 6

षडध्व-शुद्धिः

Purification of the Six Adhvans / Sixfold Cosmic Path

Devanagari script

पञ्चाशद्रुद्ररूपास्तु वर्णा वर्णाध्वसंज्ञिताः । अनेकभेदसंपन्नः पदाध्वा समुदाहृतः

Transliteration

pañcāśadrudrarūpāstu varṇā varṇādhvasaṃjñitāḥ | anekabhedasaṃpannaḥ padādhvā samudāhṛtaḥ

Translation

Die fünfzig Laute sind wahrlich Rudra‑Gestalten und heißen der „Pfad der Buchstaben“ (varṇādhva). Der „Pfad der Worte“ (padādhvā) wird als reich an vielen Gliederungen und Varianten verkündet.

Word by Word

• पञ्चाशत्-रुद्र-रूपाः: having fifty Rudra-forms
• पञ्चाशत्-रुद्र-रूपाः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चाशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); समासः: संख्या-पूर्वक तत्पुरुषः (पञ्चाशत् रुद्ररूपाः = fifty forms of Rudra); विशेषणम् (qualifying 'वर्णाः')

• तु: indeed
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: 'indeed/but')

• वर्णाः: letters/sounds
• वर्णाः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• वर्णाध्व-संज्ञिताः: called 'Varṇādhva'
• वर्णाध्व-संज्ञिताः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्णाध्व (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ण + अध्व) + संज्ञित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √ज्ञा, PPP)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वर्णाध्व-नाम्ना संज्ञिताः = designated by the name 'varṇādhva'); कृदन्त-विशेषण

• अनेक-भेद-संपन्नः: endowed with many divisions
• अनेक-भेद-संपन्नः: विशेषण (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक) + संपन्न (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; सम्-√पद्/√पद् PPP)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); समासः: तत्पुरुषः (अनेकैः भेदैः संपन्नः = endowed with many divisions); विशेषणम् (qualifying 'पदाध्वा')

• पदाध्वा: the 'Padādhva' (path/series of words)
• पदाध्वा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद + अध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); तत्पुरुषः (पदानाम् अध्वा = path/series of words)

• समुदाहृतः: is declared/said
• समुदाहृतः: क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय (Predicative participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-√आहृ (धातु; √हृ)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine); भूतकृदन्त (PPP), कर्मणि-भाव (passive: 'is declared')

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Rudra

FAQs

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

It teaches that sound is sacred: the very letters of Sanskrit are viewed as manifestations of Rudra, and mantra—built from letters and words—becomes a direct means to align the soul (paśu) with the Lord (Pati) for liberation.

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

Just as the Liṅga is a saguna support for worship, the letters and words of mantra are also saguna supports—Rudra-forms in sound—through which the devotee approaches Shiva and is led toward the higher, transcendent realization.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Mantra-japa and contemplation on śabda (sacred sound): practice steady repetition of Shiva-mantras (especially the Pañcākṣarī) with awareness that each syllable is a Rudra-power, purifying bonds (pāśa) and steadying meditation.