Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

तस्माल्लब्ध्वैव मां देवि मन्त्रेणानेन पूजयेत् । लब्ध्वा संपूजयेद्यस्तु मैत्र्यादिगुणसंयुतः

Transliteration

tasmāllabdhvaiva māṃ devi mantreṇānena pūjayet | labdhvā saṃpūjayedyastu maitryādiguṇasaṃyutaḥ

Translation

Ainsi donc, ô Déesse, m’ayant ainsi atteint, qu’on me vénère par ce mantra même. Et quiconque, l’ayant obtenu (c’est-à-dire le mantra/la réalisation), m’adore parfaitement—pourvu de vertus telles que l’amitié et autres—réussit véritablement dans ce culte.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya); तस्मात् = तद्-शब्दात् पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण निबद्धं, अर्थे ‘तस्मात्/अतः’ (ablatival adverb: ‘therefore/from that’)

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); लभ् + क्त्वा; अर्थः ‘प्राप्य/लभित्वा’ (having obtained)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); अवधारणार्थक (emphatic: ‘indeed/only’)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma/Object (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; लिङ्गनिर्देशः अप्रासंगिक (pronoun)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• मन्त्रेण: by the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana/Instrument (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; ‘मन्त्रेण’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriyā/Predicate (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• लब्ध्वा: having obtained
• लब्ध्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund); ‘having obtained’

• सम्: fully, completely (prefix)
• सम्: Upasarga/Preverb (उपसर्ग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग (preverb) ‘सम्’—सम्यक्/पूर्णतार्थक; ‘पूजयेत्’ इत्यस्य क्रियायोगे

• पूजयेत्: should worship well
• पूजयेत्: Kriyā/Predicate (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘सम्’ उपसर्गेण ‘संपूजयेत्’ अर्थः

• यः: who
• यः: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थक (but/indeed)

• मैत्री-आदि-गुण-संयुतः: endowed with qualities like friendliness
• मैत्री-आदि-गुण-संयुतः: Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मैत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, युज्+सम्+क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः ‘मैत्र्यादिगुणैः संयुतः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (instrumental tatpurusha) — ‘endowed with qualities such as friendliness’

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it is a practical conclusion: having obtained the mantra/means and (by grace) attained Śiva, one should worship with completeness and with virtues like maitrī.

Significance: Highlights the pilgrim’s inner equipment: maitrī and allied guṇas are the true 'travel provisions' that make worship fruitful anywhere.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implied) नमः शिवाय / ॐ नमः शिवाय

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that mantra-worship becomes fruitful when it is joined with inner refinement—qualities like maitrī (benevolent friendliness) make devotion pure, aligning the devotee (paśu) toward the Lord (Pati) and loosening the bonds (pāśa).

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

It affirms Saguna upāsanā through mantra and pūjā: the devotee approaches Shiva in worship (often through the Liṅga) using the revealed mantra, but the worship must be ‘saṃpūjā’—complete—supported by right disposition and devotion.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice mantra-japa and mantra-based pūjā with ethical disciplines like maitrī; perform worship as a complete offering (saṃpūjā), which can be integrated with Liṅga-arcana, dhyāna, and regular sādhanā (especially on Mahāśivarātri).