Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4
पञ्चाक्षरमाहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of the Pañcākṣarī (Five-Syllable) Mantra
कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेण तु । पूजयेद्यदि देवेशं तस्मात्पापात्प्रमुच्यते
kṛtvāpi sumahatpāpaṃ bhaktyā pañcākṣareṇa tu | pūjayedyadi deveśaṃ tasmātpāpātpramucyate
Même si l’on a commis un très grand péché, si l’on adore avec dévotion le Seigneur des Devas au moyen du mantra aux cinq syllabes (Pañcākṣara), on est délivré de ce péché.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthāla) passage; it teaches the universal efficacy of Pañcākṣarī-bhakti to remove even mahāpātaka-like sin through worship of Deveśa (Śiva).
Significance: Frames mantra-bhakti and arcana as a direct purifier (pāpa-kṣaya) and gateway to Śiva’s grace, applicable at any shrine or liṅga.
Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)
Type: panchakshara
FAQs
It teaches that sincere bhakti expressed through the Panchākṣara mantra has purifying power strong enough to burn even grave pāpa, because grace (anugraha) of Pati—Lord Śiva—cuts the bonds of impurity.
The verse supports Saguna upāsanā: worship of Śiva as Deveśa through mantra and devotion, commonly practiced with Liṅga-pūjā where the Panchākṣara is repeated while offering water, bilva leaves, and other upacāras.
Regular japa of the Panchākṣara (“Namaḥ Śivāya”) with bhakti, ideally alongside Śiva-pūjā; this can be supported by Shaiva disciplines like applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and using rudrākṣa for counted repetition.