Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 50

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

Devanagari script

पञ्चमः स्वरितश्चैव तृतीयो निहतः स्मृतः । मूलविद्या शिवं शैवं सूत्रं पञ्चाक्षरं तथा

Transliteration

pañcamaḥ svaritaścaiva tṛtīyo nihataḥ smṛtaḥ | mūlavidyā śivaṃ śaivaṃ sūtraṃ pañcākṣaraṃ tathā

Translation

La cinquième syllabe doit être chantée avec l’accent svarita, et la troisième est tenue pour «nihata», c’est-à-dire “retenue”. Telle est la connaissance racine : la formule śaiva qui est Śiva Lui-même, le sūtra sacré à cinq syllabes (pañcākṣara) également.

Word by Word

• पञ्चमः: fifth
• पञ्चमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्वरितः: svarita accent
• स्वरितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वरित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; technical phonetic term (svarita)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• तृतीयः: third
• तृतीयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निहतः: nihata (a kind of accent/intonation)
• निहतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन् (धातु) → निहत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; technical phonetic term (nihata)

• स्मृतः: is said/considered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; used predicatively ‘is said/considered’

• मूलविद्या: the root/primary knowledge (mantra-vidyā)
• मूलविद्या: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘मूला विद्या’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• शैवम्: Śaiva, pertaining to Śiva
• शैवम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies an implied ‘सूत्रम्/मन्त्रम्’ or appositionally to ‘शिवम्’

• सूत्रम्: formula, aphorism, mantra-thread
• सूत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पञ्चाक्षरम्: five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्चाक्षरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (‘पञ्च अक्षराणि यस्य’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तथा: thus, also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (particle/adverb: ‘thus/also’)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (na-maḥ śi-vā-ya) — taught here as mūlavidyā / śaiva-sūtra

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It identifies the Panchākṣara as mūlavidyā—root spiritual knowledge—teaching that the mantra is not merely a sound but a direct Śaiva means to realize Śiva (Pati) and loosen the bonds (pāśa) through disciplined japa and understanding.

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

The five-syllabled Śaiva sūtra is a primary mode of Saguna worship: the devotee approaches Śiva with name-and-form through mantra, often alongside Liṅga-pūjā, while the mantra ultimately leads the mind toward Śiva’s higher, transcendent reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Correct, regulated chanting of the Panchākṣara (with attention to intonation/discipline of utterance) as mantra-japa—ideally combined with Śiva-devotion, purity of conduct, and steady meditation on Śiva as the inner Lord.