Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 41

शिशुकस्य शिवशास्त्रप्राप्तिः (Śiśuka’s Attainment of Śaiva Teaching and Grace)

Devanagari script

तस्य देवाधिदेवस्य शिवस्य वरदायिनः । साक्षान्नमश्शिवायेति मंत्रो ऽयं वाचकः स्मृतः

Transliteration

tasya devādhidevasya śivasya varadāyinaḥ | sākṣānnamaśśivāyeti maṃtro 'yaṃ vācakaḥ smṛtaḥ

Translation

神々の中の神にして恩寵を授けるシヴァについて、この「ナマハ・シヴァーヤ」という真言は、まさに御身を直接に指し示す称号として記憶される。

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देव-अधिदेवस्य: of the God over gods
• देव-अधिदेवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—देवानाम् अधिदेवः (over-god of gods)

• शिवस्य: of Śiva
• शिवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• वर-दायिनः: of the boon-giver
• वर-दायिनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—वरं ददाति इति (giver of boons)

• साक्षात्: directly
• साक्षात्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रत्यक्षार्थक (adverb: directly)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject within mantra-quote)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विसर्ग-लोपः सन्धौ

• शिवाय: to Śiva
• शिवाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• मन्त्रः: the mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Determiner of मन्त्रः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वाचकः: denotative/expressive (name-indicator)
• वाचकः: Pratijna-predicative (विधेय/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is declared/remembered
• स्मृतः: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘is said/remembered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares “Namaḥ Śivāya” as the direct signifier of Lord Shiva (Pati), establishing mantra-japa as an immediate means to turn the soul (paśu) toward Shiva’s grace and liberation.

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

The verse affirms a concrete, name-form access point to Shiva: the mantra functions as a living designation of Shiva, supporting Saguna worship (including Linga worship) as a focused, grace-bearing practice.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of “Namaḥ Śivāya” with devotion—ideally alongside Shaiva disciplines such as purity, worship, and remembrance—since the mantra is presented as Shiva’s direct appellation.