Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

पञ्चाक्षरीविद्यायाḥ कलियुगे मोक्षोपायः | The Pañcākṣarī Vidyā as a Means of Liberation in Kali Yuga

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । आश्रित्य परमां विद्यां हृद्यां पञ्चाक्षरीं मम । भक्त्या च भावितात्मानो मुच्यंते कलिजा नराः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | āśritya paramāṃ vidyāṃ hṛdyāṃ pañcākṣarīṃ mama | bhaktyā ca bhāvitātmāno mucyaṃte kalijā narāḥ

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—എന്റെ പരമവിദ്യയായ, ഹൃദയത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന പഞ്ചാക്ഷരി മന്ത്രത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ച്, ഭക്തിയാൽ അന്തഃകരണം ഭാവിതമായ കലിയുഗജന്മികൾ മോചിതരാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/speaker)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular, Parasmaipada

• āśritya: having resorted to
• āśritya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-śri (धातु) + lyap (कृत्)
• Form: Kridanta, absolutive/gerund (ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal form; expresses prior action 'having resorted to'

• paramām: supreme
• paramām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with vidyām

• vidyām: knowledge/vidyā
• vidyām: Karma (कर्म/object of āśritya)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• hṛdyām: heart-pleasing, dear
• hṛdyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with vidyām

• pañca-akṣarīm: five-syllabled
• pañca-akṣarīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; dvigu: 'five-syllabled' (mantra)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; 1st person pronoun

• bhaktyā: by devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (करण/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• bhāvita-ātmānaḥ: those with minds/souls imbued (by devotion)
• bhāvita-ātmānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāvita (भू/भाव् धातु + क्त) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; bahuvrīhi: 'those whose selves are purified/imbued (by devotion)'

• mucyante: are liberated
• mucyante: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd Person, Plural, Ātmanepada; passive/reflexive sense

• kali-jāḥ: born in the Kali age
• kali-jāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; tatpuruṣa: 'born in Kali (age)'

• narāḥ: men/people
• narāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition to bhāvita-ātmānaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural

Speaker

Lord Shiva (Ishvara)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a shrine legend; it gives a universal Kali-yuga upāya: refuge in Śiva’s pañcākṣarī as paramā vidyā leading to liberation through bhakti and inner transformation.

Significance: Positions japa of ‘Namaḥ Śivāya’ as an accessible, pan-adhikāra practice; promises mukti for Kali-born devotees whose minds are bhāvitā (suffused) with devotion.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Kali-yuga (remedial upāya revealed)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

Shiva declares that the Panchakshara is supreme mantric wisdom and that sincere bhakti that transforms the inner self becomes the direct cause of liberation, even for Kali-yuga beings bound by impurity and distraction.

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

The Panchakshara is the sonic form of Saguna Shiva and is commonly practiced alongside Linga worship; by taking refuge in the mantra with devotion, the devotee approaches Pati (Shiva) and is freed from pāśa (bondage).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Mantra-japa of the Panchakshara (Namaḥ Śivāya) with heartfelt devotion and steady contemplation; it may be supported by Shaiva observances like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa, but the verse emphasizes bhakti-infused mantra refuge as essential.