Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 21

पञ्चाक्षर-षडक्षरमन्त्र-माहात्म्यम् | The Greatness of the Pañcākṣara/Ṣaḍakṣara Mantra

Devanagari script

यस्सर्वज्ञस्सुसंपूर्णः स्वभावविमलः शिवः । लोकानुग्रहकर्ता च स मृषार्थं कथं वदेत्

Transliteration

yassarvajñassusaṃpūrṇaḥ svabhāvavimalaḥ śivaḥ | lokānugrahakartā ca sa mṛṣārthaṃ kathaṃ vadet

Translation

Shiva is all-knowing, perfectly complete, and pure by His very nature; He is also the benefactor who bestows grace upon the worlds. How, then, could He ever speak with a false intent or utter something untrue?

Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यः (relative pronoun)

• sarvajñaḥ: all-knowing
• sarvajñaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva + jña (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वं जानाति इति)

• su-saṃpūrṇaḥ: fully complete
• su-saṃpūrṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + saṃpūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषण

• svabhāva-vimalaḥ: pure by nature
• svabhāva-vimalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svabhāva + vimala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वभावेन विमलः)

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• loka-anugraha-kartā: doer of the world’s favor
• loka-anugraha-kartā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka + anugraha + kartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लोकानां अनुग्रहस्य कर्ता)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• mṛṣā-artham: falsely / with false intent
• mṛṣā-artham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mṛṣā (अव्यय/निपात) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययवत् एकवचन-आकारेण; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial: ‘falsely’)

• katham: how
• katham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• vadet: would speak
• vadet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vad (वद् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s faultless nature to the sages, typical of Vāyavīyasaṃhitā discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes Shiva as Pati—omniscient, intrinsically pure, and the source of anugraha (saving grace). Because His will is compassionate and truth-grounded, His teachings and boons are reliable guides for liberation.

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

Linga worship approaches Shiva as the accessible Saguna focus through which His Nirguna purity and omniscience are contemplated. Trust in Shiva’s truthfulness supports śraddhā (faith) in Linga-upāsanā, mantra, and the Purāṇic instructions.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate satya (truthfulness) and steady faith while doing japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—and offer simple Linga worship (water, bilva) as a way to align with Shiva’s pure, grace-bestowing nature.