Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 46

शिशुकस्य शिवशास्त्रप्राप्तिः (Śiśuka’s Attainment of Śaiva Teaching and Grace)

Devanagari script

तस्मान्मन्त्रान्तरांस्त्यक्त्वा पञ्चाक्षरपरो भव । तस्मिञ्जिह्वांतरगते न किंचिदिह दुर्लभम्

Transliteration

tasmānmantrāntarāṃstyaktvā pañcākṣaraparo bhava | tasmiñjihvāṃtaragate na kiṃcidiha durlabham

Translation

Ainsi, délaissant les autres mantras, sois entièrement voué au mantra aux cinq syllabes, «Namaḥ Śivāya». Lorsqu’il demeure sur la langue en japa ininterrompu, rien en ce monde n’est difficile à obtenir.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: अपादान (हेतु/प्रस्थान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ablative singular

• मन्त्र-अन्तरान्: other mantras
• मन्त्र-अन्तरान्: कर्म (कर्मकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (भेदवाचक/विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः: ‘अन्ये मन्त्राः’); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यक्त्वा (कृदन्त; √त्यज् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• पञ्च-अक्षर-परः: devoted to the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्च-अक्षर-परः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (सम्बोधन-लक्षित)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद/निर्देश: ‘पञ्चाक्षरे परः’ = devoted to the five-syllabled); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भव: be
• भव: क्रिया (आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: अधिकरण (स्थान/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular

• जिह्वा-अन्तर-गते: (when it is) within the tongue / in the interior of the tongue
• जिह्वा-अन्तर-गते: अधिकरण-विशेषण (स्थान-निर्देशक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘जिह्वायाः अन्तरे गतः’); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; locative agreeing with तस्मिन्

• न: not
• न: निषेध (प्रत्याख्यान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: कर्ता/कर्म (प्रसङ्गानुसार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; indefinite pronoun ‘anything’

• इह: here
• इह: अधिकरण-अर्थे (स्थान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: विधेय-विशेषण (predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate adjective

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Establishes the pañcākṣarī-japa as the direct upāya for Śiva-anugraha; promises siddhi and removal of obstacles through constant remembrance.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय

Type: panchakshara

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches ekāgratā (one-pointedness): by centering life on the Pañcākṣara—Śiva as Pati (the Lord)—the bonds (pāśa) loosen and both worldly well-being and liberation become attainable through steady devotion and japa.

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

The Pañcākṣara is a direct name-mantra of Saguna Śiva, commonly recited during Liṅga-pūjā; the verse prioritizes this mantra as the core practice that sanctifies speech and supports external worship with inner remembrance.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Constant tongue-based japa of “Namaḥ Śivāya” (ideally with purity, bhasma/tripuṇḍra and rudrākṣa as supportive Shaiva disciplines), making the mantra continuous in speech and mind.