Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 2
पञ्चाक्षरमाहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of the Pañcākṣarī (Five-Syllable) Mantra
संपूज्यामन्त्रकं भक्त्या शिवं परमकारणम् । तैस्तैः पापैः प्रमुच्येत वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः क्रमात्
saṃpūjyāmantrakaṃ bhaktyā śivaṃ paramakāraṇam | taistaiḥ pāpaiḥ pramucyeta varṣairdvādaśabhiḥ kramāt
Hat man Śiva — die höchste Ursache — in Bhakti zusammen mit dem vorgeschriebenen Mantra verehrt, so wird man nach und nach von jenen verschiedenen Sünden befreit, im Verlauf von zwölf Jahren.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: General doctrine: Śiva as parama-kāraṇa (supreme cause) grants gradual purification from even great sins through bhakti-yukta mantra-pūjā over a vowed period (twelve years).
Significance: Encourages sustained sādhana rather than one-time acts; long-term worship at a liṅga/temple is portrayed as transformative and purificatory.
Type: panchakshara
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that Shiva, as the Paramakāraṇa (Supreme Cause and Pati), purifies the bound soul through steady mantra-worship and bhakti; liberation from pāpa is presented as a progressive inner cleansing rather than an instant event.
The verse emphasizes upāsanā with mantra and devotion—typically performed to Saguna Shiva, most commonly through Linga worship—through which the devotee approaches the transcendent Shiva as the ultimate cause.
Regular mantra-oriented Shiva worship (japa with pūjā), sustained over time—classically centered on the Panchākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” often supported by daily discipline such as bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa where prescribed.