Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 45

शैवधर्मप्रशंसा तथा पञ्चविधसाधनविभागः / Praise of Śaiva Dharma and the Fivefold Classification of Practice

Devanagari script

नामाष्टकमिदं चैव लब्ध्वाचार्यप्रसादतः । निवृत्त्यादिकलाग्रन्थिं शिवाद्यैः पञ्चनामभिः

Transliteration

nāmāṣṭakamidaṃ caiva labdhvācāryaprasādataḥ | nivṛttyādikalāgranthiṃ śivādyaiḥ pañcanāmabhiḥ

Translation

Ayant reçu, par la grâce du Guru, cet octuple de Noms divins, qu’on tranche le nœud des kalā commençant par Nivṛtti au moyen des cinq Noms débutant par « Śiva »—s’avançant ainsi vers la réalisation de Śiva et la délivrance.

Word by Word

• नाम-अष्टकम्: the set of eight names
• नाम-अष्टकम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (नाम्नाम् अष्टकम् = eight names)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; नामाष्टकम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Visheshana (विशेषण/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); धातुः—लभ् (1P), अर्थः—प्राप्तौ; क्रियापूर्वकत्व (having obtained)

• आचार्य-प्रसादतः: from the teacher’s grace
• आचार्य-प्रसादतः: Apadana/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आचार्यस्य प्रसादः)

• निवृत्ति-आदि-कला-ग्रन्थिम्: the knot of the kalās beginning with Nivṛtti
• निवृत्ति-आदि-कला-ग्रन्थिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + कला (प्रातिपदिक) + ग्रन्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (निवृत्त्यादीनां कलानां ग्रन्थिः)

• शिव-आद्यैः: by (names) beginning with Śiva
• शिव-आद्यैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शिवः आदिः येषाम्)

• पञ्च-नामभिः: with five names
• पञ्च-नामभिः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—द्विगु (पञ्च नामानि)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (quoted conceptually) śivādyaiḥ pañcanāmabhiḥ

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: kalā-granthi (nivṛtti-ādi) as cosmological bondage structure to be transcended

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Guru (Acharya)

FAQs

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

It teaches that mantra-knowledge and liberation are received through guru-prasāda, and that repeating Shiva’s sacred Names breaks the inner “knots” of limitation (pāśa), leading the soul (paśu) toward union with Pati, Lord Shiva.

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

The verse emphasizes Saguna upāsanā through Shiva’s Names—commonly practiced alongside Linga worship—where sound (nāma/mantra) and form (liṅga) together purify the devotee and remove bondage, culminating in realization of Shiva’s supreme nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Receive the mantra and Shiva-nāmas from a qualified guru, then practice japa (repetition) with devotion and concentration—optionally supported by traditional Shaiva aids such as rudrākṣa, bhasma (tripuṇḍra), and daily Linga-pūjā.