Shloka 17

पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः

Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya

Devanagari script

वाचकोऽयमहं वाच्यो मंत्रोऽयं हि मदात्मकः । तदनुस्मरणं नित्यं ममानुस्मरणं भवेत्

Transliteration

vācako'yamahaṃ vācyo maṃtro'yaṃ hi madātmakaḥ | tadanusmaraṇaṃ nityaṃ mamānusmaraṇaṃ bhavet

Translation

ജപിക്കുന്നവൻ ഞാനേ; ജപ്യനും (വാച്യനും) ഞാനേ; ഈ മന്ത്രം സത്യത്തിൽ എന്റെ തന്നെ സ്വരൂപമാണ്. അതിനാൽ ഇതിന്റെ നിത്യാനുസ്മരണം യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ എന്നെ അനുസ്മരിക്കുന്നതാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• vācakaḥ: the speaker/reciter
• vācakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Determiner of vācakaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• aham: I
• aham: Sāmānādhikaraṇya (समानाधिकरण/Apposition to vācakaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• vācyaḥ: the one to be spoken/denoted
• vācyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• mantraḥ: the mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Determiner of mantraḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), emphasis/causal nuance

• madātmakaḥ: of my very nature
• madātmakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate adjective of mantraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (genitive determinative/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): mad-ātmaka = ‘having my nature’

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Determiner of anusmaraṇam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• anusmaraṇam: remembrance/recalling
• anusmaraṇam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anu-smṛ (धातु) + ana (प्रत्यय) → anusmaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); bhāva-nāma (action noun/भावनाम) from dhātu स्मृ with upasarga अनु

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• mama: of me/my
• mama: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• anusmaraṇam: remembrance
• anusmaraṇam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anu-smṛ (धातु) + ana (प्रत्यय) → anusmaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); bhāva-nāma (action noun/भावनाम)

• bhavet: would be/should become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: Oṃkāra (implied): the mantra is madātmaka—of Śiva’s very essence.

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches mantra-tattva: Shiva is both the revealer and the revealed meaning of the mantra, so continuous japa becomes direct Shiva-smaraṇa leading toward liberation.

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

Just as the Linga is a sacred support for focusing on Shiva, the mantra is a sonic support; by remembering the mantra, the devotee remembers Saguna Shiva and is led inward toward His higher, formless reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Daily, steady mantra-japa with mindful remembrance—treating repetition as Shiva-smaraṇa—ideally supported by Shaiva disciplines like purity, devotion, and meditative focus (dhyāna).