Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 28

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

Devanagari script

संस्कृतेनापि किं तेन मृदुना ललितेन वा । अविद्यारागवाक्येन संसारक्लेशहेतुना

Transliteration

saṃskṛtenāpi kiṃ tena mṛdunā lalitena vā | avidyārāgavākyena saṃsārakleśahetunā

Translation

À quoi sert la parole—fût-elle raffinée, douce et élégante—lorsqu’elle est mue par l’ignorance et l’attachement, devenant ainsi cause des tourments de l’existence dans le saṃsāra ?

Word by Word

• संस्कृतेन: by refined (speech)/Sanskrit
• संस्कृतेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संस्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र ‘किं तेन’ = ‘what (use) with that?’

• तेन: with that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुल्लिङ्ग; करणार्थे

• मृदुना: by soft (speech)
• मृदुना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृदु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• ललितेन: by charming/ornate (speech)
• ललितेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• अविद्यारागवाक्येन: by words tinged with ignorance and attachment
• अविद्यारागवाक्येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविद्या (प्रातिपदिक) + राग (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (अविद्यायाः रागः = अविद्याराग; तेन युक्तं वाक्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

• संसारक्लेशहेतुना: by the cause of worldly suffering
• संसारक्लेशहेतुना: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक) + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (संसारस्य क्लेशः = संसारक्लेश; तस्य हेतुः), पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; करण

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that eloquence alone does not purify; speech rooted in avidyā (ignorance) and rāga (attachment) binds the soul and multiplies saṃsāric suffering, whereas Shiva-oriented, truth-bearing speech supports liberation.

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

Linga worship disciplines the senses and mind; this verse emphasizes that devotion is not mere beautiful recitation but inner purification—speech should arise from bhakti and right knowledge of Shiva (Pati), not from egoic attachment.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with restraint of speech (mauna/mitabhāṣa), so words become a vehicle of purity rather than a cause of worldly agitation.