Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

अस्ति नाथः परित्राता पुंसां संसारसागरात् । आदिमध्यांतनिर्मुक्तस्स्वभावविमलः प्रभुः

Transliteration

asti nāthaḥ paritrātā puṃsāṃ saṃsārasāgarāt | ādimadhyāṃtanirmuktassvabhāvavimalaḥ prabhuḥ

Translation

Il existe le Seigneur—le Protecteur—qui délivre les êtres de l’océan du saṃsāra. Libre du commencement, du milieu et de la fin, le Souverain est, par sa nature même, sans tache et pur.

Word by Word

• अस्ति: there is / exists
• अस्ति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present indicative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• नाथः: a lord
• नाथः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परित्राता: protector/savior
• परित्राता: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + त्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक; तॄ/त्रा धातु से तृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

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

• संसार-सागरात्: from the ocean of worldly existence
• संसार-सागरात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: संसारस्य सागरः (‘ocean of saṃsāra’)

• आदि-मध्य-अन्त-निर्मुक्तः: free from beginning, middle, and end
• आदि-मध्य-अन्त-निर्मुक्तः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + निर्मुक्त (कृदन्त; मुच् धातु, नि-उपसर्ग, क्त/PPP)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); समाहार-द्वन्द्व (आदि+मध्य+अन्त) पूर्वपद; तत्पुरुषार्थ: तेषां निर्मुक्तः (‘free from beginning, middle, and end’)

• स्वभाव-विमलः: pure in nature
• स्वभाव-विमलः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: स्वभावेन विमलः / स्वभावस्य विमलः (‘pure by nature’)

• प्रभुः: the Lord
• प्रभुः: कर्तृ (Karta/Subject; main noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: General jyotirliṅga-theology resonance: the Lord as 'nātha' and 'paritrātā' is the core pilgrimage aim—crossing saṃsāra through darśana and śaraṇāgati.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares Shiva as Pati—the sovereign liberator—who alone can ferry the bound soul (paśu) across the saṃsāra-ocean, because He is intrinsically pure and not conditioned by time (beginning–middle–end).

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

Though Shiva is described as beyond temporal limits (a nirguṇa implication), devotees approach Him through saguna supports like the Śiva-liṅga, using worship to focus the mind on the timeless, stainless Lord who grants release.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Take refuge in Shiva through japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and steady remembrance (smaraṇa) of Him as the deliverer from saṃsāra.