Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15

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

Devanagari script

धर्माधर्मोपदेशश्च बंधमोक्षौ विचारणात् । न सर्वज्ञं विना पुंसामादिसर्गः प्रसिद्ध्यति

Transliteration

dharmādharmopadeśaśca baṃdhamokṣau vicāraṇāt | na sarvajñaṃ vinā puṃsāmādisargaḥ prasiddhyati

Translation

L’enseignement du dharma et de l’adharma, et le discernement de l’enchaînement et de la délivrance, ne peuvent s’établir pour les hommes sans le Seigneur omniscient ; de même, la vraie compréhension de la création primordiale n’est pas connue en dehors de Lui.

Word by Word

• धर्म-अधर्म-उपदेशः: teaching of dharma and adharma
• धर्म-अधर्म-उपदेशः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समाहार-द्वन्द्व/द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषार्थ (sense: ‘instruction regarding dharma and adharma’)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• बन्ध-मोक्षौ: bondage and liberation
• बन्ध-मोक्षौ: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), द्विवचन (Dual); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative)

• विचारणात्: from inquiry/consideration
• विचारणात्: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); हेतौ पञ्चमी

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• सर्वज्ञम्: the omniscient (one)
• सर्वज्ञम्: अपादान/विनापद-योगे (Object of vinā; ‘without’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘all-knower’ used as object of vinā

• विना: without
• विना: सम्बन्ध (Exclusion/without)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय governing द्वितीया (accusative)

• पुंसाम्: of men / of persons
• पुंसाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुम्स्/पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आदि-सर्गः: the primordial creation
• आदि-सर्गः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: आदिः सर्गः / आदौ सर्गः (initial creation)

• प्रसिद्ध्यति: becomes established / is well-known
• प्रसिद्ध्यति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Vāyavīya teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It affirms Śiva as Sarvajña Pati—the indispensable revealer of dharma, adharma, and the discernment that leads the paśu (soul) from pāśa (bondage) to mokṣa; without His illumination, true knowledge of creation and liberation does not become established.

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

The Liṅga and Saguna Śiva serve as accessible forms through which the Omniscient Lord grants right understanding (vicāra) and guidance in dharma, ultimately leading beyond bondage toward liberation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Cultivate vicāra (discriminative inquiry) alongside Śiva-upāsanā—daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” with a prayer for right discernment of dharma and the loosening of pāśa (bondage).