Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 24

साधक-दीक्षा तथा मन्त्रसाधन

Puraścaraṇa and the Discipline of the Mantra-Sādhaka

Devanagari script

अथवा ऽहरहर्मंत्रं जपेदेकाग्रमानसः । अनश्नन्नेव साहस्रं विना मन्त्रस्य साधनम्

Transliteration

athavā 'haraharmaṃtraṃ japedekāgramānasaḥ | anaśnanneva sāhasraṃ vinā mantrasya sādhanam

Translation

Oder auch: Mit einspitzigem Geist soll man Tag für Tag das Mantra im Japa rezitieren; selbst im Fasten vollende man tausend Wiederholungen—dies allein ist das Mittel zur Vollendung des Mantras.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथवा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive: or)

• अहर्-अहः-मन्त्रम्: the daily mantra
• अहर्-अहः-मन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहर् (प्रातिपदिक) + अहः (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव: अहरहः (= प्रतिदिनम्) + मन्त्रम्

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• एकाग्र-मानसः: one whose mind is one-pointed
• एकाग्र-मानसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाग्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: एकाग्रं मानसं यस्य सः

• अनश्नन्: not eating (fasting)
• अनश्नन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नश्/अश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त, शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक: न अश्नन् (not eating)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• साहस्रम्: a thousand (times)
• साहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (a thousand times)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय/पूर्वपद (preposition), ‘without’; governs instrumental/accusative (usage varies)

• मन्त्रस्य: of the mantra
• मन्त्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• साधनम्: accomplishment/means of practice
• साधनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Not site-specific; emphasizes mantra-sādhana as a portable tīrtha—daily japa with ekāgratā and tapas (fasting) as the direct means to mantra-siddhi.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that mantra-sādhanā becomes effective primarily through ekāgratā (one-pointed attention) and steady daily repetition; inner discipline is presented as the direct path to grace and purification in a Shaiva framework.

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

Even when Saguna worship (like Linga-pūjā) is practiced, the verse emphasizes that japa is a core inner offering; concentrated repetition aligns the devotee’s mind with Shiva, the Pati, making external worship fruitful.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Daily mantra japa with a focused mind, optionally accompanied by fasting, completing one thousand repetitions as a practical rule for mantra accomplishment (mantra-siddhi).