Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेण तु । पूजयेद्यदि देवेशं तस्मात्पापात्प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

kṛtvāpi sumahatpāpaṃ bhaktyā pañcākṣareṇa tu | pūjayedyadi deveśaṃ tasmātpāpātpramucyate

Translation

അത്യന്ത മഹാപാപം ചെയ്തിട്ടും, ഭക്തിയോടെ പഞ്ചാക്ഷരമന്ത്രം ജപിച്ച് ദേവേശ്വരനെ പൂജിച്ചാൽ, അവൻ ആ പാപത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതനാകും.

Word by Word

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया-अनुबन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive) ‘having done’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) ‘even/also’

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘पापम्’)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)

• पञ्चाक्षरेण: with the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्चाक्षरेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (numerical) ‘पञ्च अक्षराणि यस्य’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Instrumental Singular)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) ‘but/indeed’

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd sg)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तबोधक (conditional conjunction) ‘if’

• देवेशम्: the Lord of gods
• देवेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘देवानाम् ईशः’; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन (Accusative Singular)

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी विभक्ति; एकवचन (Ablative Singular)

• प्रमुच्यते: is released; is freed
• प्रमुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive); आत्मनेपद (3rd sg)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a site-specific (sthāla) passage; it teaches the universal efficacy of Pañcākṣarī-bhakti to remove even mahāpātaka-like sin through worship of Deveśa (Śiva).

Significance: Frames mantra-bhakti and arcana as a direct purifier (pāpa-kṣaya) and gateway to Śiva’s grace, applicable at any shrine or liṅga.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that sincere bhakti expressed through the Panchākṣara mantra has purifying power strong enough to burn even grave pāpa, because grace (anugraha) of Pati—Lord Śiva—cuts the bonds of impurity.

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

The verse supports Saguna upāsanā: worship of Śiva as Deveśa through mantra and devotion, commonly practiced with Liṅga-pūjā where the Panchākṣara is repeated while offering water, bilva leaves, and other upacāras.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of the Panchākṣara (“Namaḥ Śivāya”) with bhakti, ideally alongside Śiva-pūjā; this can be supported by Shaiva disciplines like applying Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and using rudrākṣa for counted repetition.