Shloka 70

Devanagari script

अगम्यागमनं पापमभक्ष्यस्य च भक्षणम् । इत्यादिसर्वपापानि पंचवक्त्रो व्यपोहति

Transliteration

agamyāgamanaṃ pāpamabhakṣyasya ca bhakṣaṇam | ityādisarvapāpāni paṃcavaktro vyapohati

Translation

Sins such as approaching what is forbidden and eating what ought not to be eaten—indeed, all sins of this kind—are dispelled by Pañcavaktra, Śiva of the Five Faces.

Word by Word

• अगम्यागमनम्: going to the forbidden (illicit approach)
• अगम्यागमनम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; enumerated sin)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगम्य-आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/उपपदभाव: अगम्ये आगमनम्)

• पापम्: a sin
• पापम्: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानााधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• अभक्ष्यस्य: of what is not to be eaten
• अभक्ष्यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (भक्ष्य-शब्दः), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• भक्षणम्: eating
• भक्षणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; enumerated sin)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्ययप्राय; समाहार/आद्यार्थ (etc., and so on)

• सर्वपापानि: all sins
• सर्वपापानि: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि पापानि)

• पञ्चवक्त्रः: the five-faced one
• पञ्चवक्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च-वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु

• व्यपोहति: removes, drives away
• व्यपोहति: Kriyā (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-उह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; उपसर्गः—वि, अप; धातुः—ऊह्/उह् (to remove/drive away)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: agamyāgamanaṃ pāpam abhakṣyasya ca bhakṣaṇam | ityādi sarvapāpāni paṃcavaktro vyapohati ||

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere turning toward Lord Śiva—here as Pañcavaktra—has the power to cleanse even serious moral and ritual impurities, emphasizing grace (anugraha) and purification as a step toward liberation.

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

Pañcavaktra is a Saguna manifestation of Śiva whose worship (often through the Śiva-liṅga and associated iconography) is praised as spiritually transformative, removing pāpa and restoring the devotee to dharmic purity.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Pañcavaktra-focused Śiva worship—such as japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), liṅga-abhisheka, and wearing Rudrākṣa with Tripuṇḍra—aligns with the verse’s message of purification through devotion.