Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

ये ऽर्चयंति महादेवं विज्ञेयास्ते महेश्वराः । ज्ञानेनात्मसहायेन नार्चितो भगवाञ्छिवः

Transliteration

ye 'rcayaṃti mahādevaṃ vijñeyāste maheśvarāḥ | jñānenātmasahāyena nārcito bhagavāñchivaḥ

Translation

മഹാദേവനെ അർച്ചിക്കുന്നവർ ‘മഹേശ്വരർ’ എന്നു അറിയപ്പെടണം. എന്നാൽ ഭക്തിയും ശരിയായ ആചാരവും ഇല്ലാതെ, ആത്മാശ്രിതമായ സ്വകേന്ദ്രജ്ഞാനം മാത്രം കൊണ്ടു ഭഗവാൻ ശിവനെ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ പൂജിക്കാനാവില്ല.

Word by Word

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); relative pronoun

• arcayanti: worship
• arcayanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (अर्च् धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mahā-devam: Mahādeva
• mahā-devam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: ‘great (mahān) deva’

• vijñeyāḥ: are to be known (as)
• vijñeyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-jñeya (कृदन्त; √jñā धातु)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); gerundive/future passive participle (तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थ) meaning ‘to be known/considered’

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• mahā-īśvarāḥ: great lords (Maheśvaras)
• mahā-īśvarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); कर्मधारय: ‘great lords’

• jñānena: by knowledge
• jñānena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ātma-sahāyena: with the self as helper/with inner support
• ātma-sahāyena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक) + sahāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘helper of the self’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha/Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• arcitaḥ: worshipped
• arcitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arcita (कृदन्त; √arc धातु)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle (क्त)

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Defines true identity as ‘Maheśvara’ through actual worship (arcana) rather than self-referential learning; warns that ego-supported knowledge is a form of concealment (tirodhāna) that blocks genuine devotion.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It defines a ‘true Maheśvara’ as one who actually worships Śiva, and cautions that knowledge rooted in ego or self-sufficiency—without surrender and devotion—does not amount to real worship.

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

Linga/Saguṇa worship is presented as a concrete mode of honoring Śiva with reverence; the verse implies that ritual and devotion oriented to Śiva are superior to dry, self-referential intellectualism that ignores the Lord as Pati (the Supreme).

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Adopt devotional worship (arcana) supported by humility—e.g., japa of the Pañcākṣarī ‘Om Namaḥ Śivāya’ with pūjā to the Śiva-liṅga—rather than relying on mere scholarship or ego-based contemplation.