Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 16
साधक-दीक्षा तथा मन्त्रसाधन
Puraścaraṇa and the Discipline of the Mantra-Sādhaka
कोटिवारं तदर्धं वा तदर्धं वा जपेच्छिवम् । लक्षविंशतिकं वापि दशलक्षमथापि वा
koṭivāraṃ tadardhaṃ vā tadardhaṃ vā japecchivam | lakṣaviṃśatikaṃ vāpi daśalakṣamathāpi vā
Man soll den Namen/das Mantra Śivas ein Krore Mal wiederholen — oder die Hälfte davon, oder wiederum die Hälfte; oder sonst zwanzig Lakhs, oder auch zehn Lakhs, je nach eigener Kraft.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Not tied to a single jyotirliṅga; it prescribes large-scale japa counts, reflecting vrata-like intensive practice that can be undertaken at any Śiva shrine or in home worship.
Significance: Encourages sustained nāma/mantra-japa as a means to attenuate pāśa (bondage) and invite anugraha; flexible counts accommodate adhikāra (capacity).
Type: panchakshara
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches disciplined repetition (japa) of Śiva’s name/mantra as a direct purifier of the bound soul (paśu), recommending large counts while also allowing graded practice according to capacity—emphasizing steady devotion over mere display.
Japa supports Saguna Śiva-upāsanā by fixing the mind on Śiva’s gracious presence; it commonly accompanies Liṅga worship as inner offering, making external pūjā fruitful through sustained remembrance.
Mantra-japa of Śiva—ideally the Pañcākṣarī (“Namaḥ Śivāya”) or Śiva-nāma—performed in a vowed count (lakhs/crores), as a structured sādhanā that can be scaled to one’s strength and time.