Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 14
मन्वन्तर-कल्प-प्रश्नोत्तरम् / Discourse on Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Re-creation
इमं चोदाहरन्मंत्रं श्लोकं नारायणं प्रति । तं शृणुध्वं मुनिश्रेष्ठास्तदर्थं चाक्षराश्रयम्
imaṃ codāharanmaṃtraṃ ślokaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ prati | taṃ śṛṇudhvaṃ muniśreṣṭhāstadarthaṃ cākṣarāśrayam
ഇങ്ങനെ നാരായണനെ അഭിമുഖീകരിച്ച് ഈ മന്ത്രശ്ലോകം ഉച്ചരിച്ച ശേഷം, ഹേ മുനിശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, അത് ശ്രവിക്കുവിൻ; അവിനാശിയായ അക്ഷരങ്ങളെ ആശ്രയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന അതിന്റെ അർത്ഥവും കൂടെ കേൾക്കുവിൻ।
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Sadāśiva
Type: stotra
FAQs
It emphasizes that mantra is not merely sound but a revelation whose liberating power rests in its akṣaras (imperishable phonemic units) and in understanding its meaning—key to inner purification and God-realization.
In Shaiva practice, mantra and its akṣaras are paired with saguna worship (such as Linga-pūjā): recitation sanctifies the mind while the form (Linga) anchors devotion, leading toward the realization of Shiva beyond form.
Careful śravaṇa (listening), correct japa (recitation) with attention to each akṣara, and contemplation of the mantra’s meaning—often integrated with daily Shiva worship, bhasma/tripuṇḍra, and rudrākṣa as supportive disciplines.