Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 13

पञ्चाक्षरीविद्यायाḥ कलियुगे मोक्षोपायः | The Pañcākṣarī Vidyā as a Means of Liberation in Kali Yuga

Devanagari script

पञ्चाक्षरार्चनस्यैते कोट्यंशेनापि नो समः । बद्धो वाप्यथ मुक्तो वा पाशात्पञ्चाक्षरेण यः

Transliteration

pañcākṣarārcanasyaite koṭyaṃśenāpi no samaḥ | baddho vāpyatha mukto vā pāśātpañcākṣareṇa yaḥ

Translation

Ces autres moyens ne sont pas égaux, fût-ce à un dix-millionième, au culte accompli par le mantra aux cinq syllabes, le Pañcākṣara. Qu’on soit lié ou déjà délivré, quiconque se réfugie dans le Pañcākṣara est affranchi des liens (pāśa).

Word by Word

• pañca-akṣara-arcana-sya: of the worship of the five-syllable (mantra)
• pañca-akṣara-arcana-sya: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + arcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (pañcākṣara-arcana = ‘five-syllable worship’), whole in षष्ठी

• ete: these
• ete: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; demonstrative pronoun

• koṭi-aṃśena: even by a croreth part
• koṭi-aṃśena: Karana (करणम्/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (koṭyaṃśa = ‘a croreth part’), तृतीया—means/measure

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) expressing ‘even/also’

• naḥ: of us / our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural; enclitic form ‘naḥ’

• samaḥ: equal
• samaḥ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; adjective used predicatively (‘equal’)

• baddhaḥ: bound
• baddhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—of implied ‘is’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bandh (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्—क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘bound’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात) ‘or’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘also/even’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle/adverb (निपात) ‘then/and’

• muktaḥ: liberated
• muktaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—of implied ‘is’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muc (धातु) + ta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्—क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘released/liberated’

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक निपात) ‘or’

• pāśāt: from the noose/bondage
• pāśāt: Apādāna (अपादानम्/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• pañca-akṣareṇa: by the five-syllable (mantra)
• pañca-akṣareṇa: Karana (करणम्/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; समासः—द्विगुः (pañcākṣara = ‘five-syllabled (mantra)’), तृतीया—means

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun

Speaker

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

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

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 proclaims the unrivaled efficacy of Pañcākṣara-arcana (Namaḥ Śivāya) for cutting the soul’s bonds (pāśa). In a Śaiva Siddhānta lens, mantra-worship is a direct grace-bearing means by which Pati (Śiva) loosens pāśa and turns the bound pashu toward liberation.

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

Pañcākṣara is traditionally joined with Śiva-liṅga pūjā as both mantra (śabda) and form (liṅga) point to Saguna Śiva as the accessible focus of devotion. Through archana/japa, the devotee approaches Śiva’s gracious presence, and bondage is said to fall away by His anugraha (saving grace).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa and archana of the Pañcākṣara mantra—especially with liṅga-pūjā—emphasizing steady remembrance of “Namaḥ Śivāya” as the core practice for release from pāśa.