Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

महाभुज महासार महागुण महाकथ । महाबल महामाय महारस महारथ

Transliteration

mahābhuja mahāsāra mahāguṇa mahākatha | mahābala mahāmāya mahārasa mahāratha

Translation

ໂອ ພຣະອົງຜູ້ມີແຂນອັນຍິ່ງໃຫຍ່—ຜູ້ມີສານະສຳຄັນອັນລ້ຳເລີດ, ອຸດົມດ້ວຍຄຸນອັນມົງຄຸນ, ແລະເປັນບໍ່ເກີດແຫ່ງກະຖາສັກສິດອັນຍິ່ງ. ໂອ ຜູ້ມີພະລັງອັນມະຫາສານ—ຜູ້ມີມາຍາທິບອັນກວ້າງໃຫຍ່, ມີລົດຊາດແຫ່ງອານັນດະອັນສູງສຸດ, ແລະເປັນມະຫາຣະຖະ ຜູ້ຂັບລົດສົງຄາມອັນເລີດລ້ຳ ບໍ່ມີໃຜເທົ່າໃນອຳນາດທາງວິນຍານ.

Word by Word

• mahābhuja: O great-armed one
• mahābhuja: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: ‘great-armed’

• mahāsāra: O one of great essence
• mahāsāra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāguṇa: O greatly virtuous one
• mahāguṇa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahākatha: O one of great renown
• mahākatha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + katha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); reading as mahākatha (address), i.e., ‘of great fame/story’; text may intend mahākathā (f.) in other recensions

• mahābala: O mighty one
• mahābala: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāmāya: O one of great māyā
• mahāmāya: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); stem māyā used as qualifier ‘possessing great māyā’

• mahārasa: O one of great delight/essence
• mahārasa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāratha: O great warrior
• mahāratha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: महाभुज महासार महागुण महाकथ । महाबल महामाय महारस महारथ

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

This verse functions as a garland of Shiva’s names, contemplating Him as the supreme Pati—full of auspicious qualities, the inner essence of all, and the giver of spiritual bliss (rasa), inspiring devotion and liberation-oriented remembrance.

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

These epithets support Saguna-upāsanā: worship of Shiva with attributes. In Linga worship, such names are recited as nāma-japa/archana while recognizing that the Linga signifies the same supreme reality beyond attributes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Use the names as nāma-japa before or after chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), ideally with vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa, meditating on Shiva as the powerful Lord whose Māyā is under His mastery.