Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 19

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

Devanagari script

ते वाञ्छन्ति सदाकालं हरस्य चरणाम्बुजम् । सौभाग्यं कान्तिमद्रूपं सत्त्वं त्यागार्द्रभावता

Transliteration

te vāñchanti sadākālaṃ harasya caraṇāmbujam | saubhāgyaṃ kāntimadrūpaṃ sattvaṃ tyāgārdrabhāvatā

Translation

അവർ സദാകാലവും ഹരൻ (ശിവൻ)ന്റെ പാദപദ്മങ്ങളെ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നു. ആ ഭക്തിയിൽ നിന്ന് സൗഭാഗ്യം, കാന്തിയുള്ള മനോഹര രൂപം, ശുദ്ധ സത്ത്വം, കൂടാതെ ത്യാഗഭാവം കൊണ്ടു മൃദുവായ ഹൃദയം ഉദ്ഭവിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga (contextual), Prathamā (Nominative), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन)

• vāñchanti: desire
• vāñchanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vāñch (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Bahuvacana, Parasmaipada

• sadā-kālam: always
• sadā-kālam: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time adjunct/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Avyayībhāva (अव्ययीभाव) ‘always + time’ = ‘at all times’; used adverbially

• harasya: of Hara (Śiva)
• harasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana

• caraṇa-ambujam: the lotus-feet
• caraṇa-ambujam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ambuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa) ‘lotus of (his) feet’; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• saubhāgyam: good fortune
• saubhāgyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saubhāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Accusative, Ekavacana; (elliptical list of desired qualities)

• kānti-mat-rūpam: a radiant form
• kānti-mat-rūpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kānti (प्रातिपदिक) + mat (मतुप्) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘a form that is kāntimat (radiant)’; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Accusative, Ekavacana; kāntimat is taddhita (मतुप्)

• sattvam: goodness / purity
• sattvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Accusative, Ekavacana

• tyāga-ardra-bhāvatā: a disposition softened by renunciation
• tyāga-ardra-bhāvatā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tyāga (प्रातिपदिक) + ardra (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāva (प्रातिपदिक) + tā (तद्धित/तल्)
• Form: Samāsa: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) (multi-member) ‘state of being tender/moist with renunciation’; Strīliṅga (Feminine/स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana; abstract noun with -tā (तल्)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Umāpati

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthāla) passage; it teaches the fruit (phala) of constant devotion to Śiva’s lotus-feet, a pan-Śaiva motif applicable to any liṅga/temple.

Significance: Cultivates bhakti-niṣṭhā (exclusive devotion) that ripens into sattva-śuddhi and eligibility for Śiva’s anugraha (liberating grace).

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that constant yearning for Śiva’s lotus-feet is itself a mark of grace: it purifies the soul (sattva), bestows auspiciousness, and matures detachment—qualities that prepare the bound being (paśu) to be freed from bonds (pāśa) by the Lord (Pati).

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

Longing for Śiva’s feet is expressed through saguna upāsanā—especially Liṅga worship—where the devotee approaches Śiva with reverence, service, and surrender. The ‘lotus-feet’ signify the accessible, compassionate aspect of Śiva through which His transcendent nature is realized.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is steady bhakti-sādhana: daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), Liṅga-abhiṣeka with a sattvic mind, and cultivating tyāga (renunciation) through simple living and selfless service—so the heart becomes ‘softened’ toward Śiva.