Shloka 21

पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः

Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya

Devanagari script

अस्मात्पंचाक्षरं जज्ञे बोधकं सकलस्यतत् । आकारादिक्रमेणैव नकारादियथाक्रमम्

Transliteration

asmātpaṃcākṣaraṃ jajñe bodhakaṃ sakalasyatat | ākārādikrameṇaiva nakārādiyathākramam

Translation

ഇതിൽ നിന്നാണ് പഞ്ചാക്ഷരീ മന്ത്രം ഉദ്ഭവിച്ചത്; അത് സർവ്വ തത്ത്വങ്ങളുടെ സത്യം ബോധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു. അതിനെ ശരിയായ ക്രമത്തിൽ ഗ്രഹിക്കണം—ആദ്യം ‘ആ’ മുതൽ, പിന്നെ മന്ത്രാക്ഷരപരമ്പരയിൽ ‘ന’ മുതൽ യഥാക്രമം।

Word by Word

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; ‘from this’

• पञ्च-अक्षरम्: the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्च-अक्षरम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; द्विगु: ‘five syllables’

• जज्ञे: was born/arose
• जज्ञे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद; 3rd Person, Singular

• बोधकम्: revealing
• बोधकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बोधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; adjective/predicate to ‘पञ्चाक्षरम्’

• सकलस्य: of all
• सकलस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the whole/all’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Anuvṛtti/Reference (अनुवृत्ति)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; refers back to ‘पञ्चाक्षरम्’

• आकार-आदि-क्रमेण: by the order beginning with ‘ā’
• आकार-आदि-क्रमेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; ‘in the sequence beginning with ā’

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• नकार-आदि-यथा-क्रमम्: in due order starting with ‘na’
• नकार-आदि-यथा-क्रमम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नकार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + यथा (अव्यय) + क्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial compound used as avyaya; ‘according to the order beginning with na’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implied) namaḥ śivāya

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Mantra-janma: pañcākṣarī emanates from praṇava/nāda as a grace-bearing revelation that discloses tattvas

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares the Pañcākṣara as a universal revealer (bodhaka) of all principles—pointing to Shiva (Pati) as the light of awareness by which all realities are known, and indicating that liberation is approached through right mantra-knowledge and practice.

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

In the Vidyeśvara context, the mantra is taught as the living essence of Shiva-worship: japa of the Pañcākṣara supports devotion to Saguna Shiva (often as the Linga) while leading the mind toward Shiva’s higher, transcendent nature.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It points to disciplined Pañcākṣara-japa in the correct sequence and understanding of its syllables—ideally alongside Shaiva observances such as Linga-pūjā, bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa as supportive disciplines.