Shloka 24
पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः
Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya
अनेन मंत्रकंदेन भोगो मोक्षश्च सिद्ध्यति । सकला मंत्रराजानः साक्षाद्भोगप्रदाः शुभाः
anena maṃtrakaṃdena bhogo mokṣaśca siddhyati | sakalā maṃtrarājānaḥ sākṣādbhogapradāḥ śubhāḥ
By this very core of mantra, both worldly enjoyment (bhoga) and liberation (mokṣa) are accomplished. Indeed, all sovereign mantras are auspicious and directly bestow enjoyments, when grounded in Śiva’s grace and in right worship.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: As Viśveśvara/Viśvanātha, Śiva is praised as the universal Lord whose mantra-bestowal grants both bhoga and mokṣa; the verse’s emphasis on mantra-sāra aligns with Kāśī’s doctrine that Śiva’s grace and upadeśa are directly liberative.
Significance: Darśana and japa centered on Viśvanātha are held to yield both worldly siddhi (bhoga) and final release (mokṣa) through Śiva’s anugraha.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It teaches that Śiva-mantra is not merely for material results; when practiced with devotion and purity, it culminates in both rightful worldly fulfillment (bhoga) and final release (mokṣa), with liberation as the highest consummation under Śiva’s lordship (Pati).
In the Vidyeśvara/Viśveśvara context, mantra is typically joined to Saguna Śiva-upāsanā—especially Liṅga worship—where japa, pūjā, and inner remembrance make the mantra ‘direct’ (sākṣāt) in producing fruits through Śiva’s manifest presence in the Liṅga.
Regular mantra-japa (especially the Pañcākṣarī, ‘Namaḥ Śivāya’) supported by Śiva-pūjā—often with bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as aids—so that the mantra’s ‘core’ is lived through disciplined devotion, not just recitation.