Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8

पञ्चाक्षरमाहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of the Pañcākṣarī (Five-Syllable) Mantra

Devanagari script

बद्धो वाप्यथ मुक्तो वा पश्चात्पञ्चाक्षरेण चेत् । पूजयन्मुच्यते भक्तो नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

baddho vāpyatha mukto vā paścātpañcākṣareṇa cet | pūjayanmucyate bhakto nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

Qu’on soit lié (par le pāśa) ou déjà délivré, si ensuite l’on adore (Śiva) par le mantra Pañcākṣarī, ce dévot est libéré ; sur cela, nul besoin de plus ample examen.

Word by Word

• बद्धः: bound
• बद्धः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) → बद्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधानार्थक (also/even)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/प्रस्तावार्थक (then/now)

• मुक्तः: released
• मुक्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: afterwards)

• पञ्च-अक्षरेण: with the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्च-अक्षरेण: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः: पञ्च अक्षराणि यस्य तत् (pañcākṣara-mantra)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle: if)

• पूजयन्: worshipping
• पूजयन्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) → पूजयत् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (while worshipping)

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि/मध्यस्थ-प्रयोगः (is released)

• भक्तः: the devotee
• भक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Deśa (देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• कार्या: necessary
• कार्या: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done/necessary)

• विचारणा: consideration/deliberation
• विचारणा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Doctrinal maxim: regardless of one’s state—bound (baddha) or (apparently) liberated—pañcākṣarī-pūjā ensures release; stresses the non-negotiable primacy of Śiva’s grace mediated by mantra.

Significance: Encourages universal eligibility (adhikāra) for Śiva-mantra worship; frames it as decisive for cutting pāśa (bondage).

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares the decisive liberating efficacy of the Pañcākṣarī (Namaḥ Śivāya): regardless of one’s condition as bound (paśu under pāśa) or already spiritually advanced, sincere worship through this mantra leads to release by Śiva’s grace.

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

The verse emphasizes mantra-based pūjā, which in Shiva Purana is commonly performed to Saguna Śiva—often through Liṅga worship—where the Pañcākṣarī functions as the core invocation that connects the devotee to Pati (Śiva) and dissolves bondage.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular Śiva-pūjā and japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Namaḥ Śivāya), ideally performed with devotion as part of daily worship (arcana) or meditative repetition (japa/dhyāna) focused on Śiva.