Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 36

पञ्चाक्षर-षडक्षरमन्त्र-माहात्म्यम् | The Greatness of the Pañcākṣara/Ṣaḍakṣara Mantra

Devanagari script

नमस्कारादिसंयुक्तं शिवायेत्यक्षरत्रयम् । जिह्वाग्रे वर्तते यस्य सफलं तस्य जीवितम्

Transliteration

namaskārādisaṃyuktaṃ śivāyetyakṣaratrayam | jihvāgre vartate yasya saphalaṃ tasya jīvitam

Translation

Bem-aventurada e verdadeiramente frutuosa é a vida daquele em cuja ponta da língua habitam continuamente as três sílabas «śi-vā-ya», unidas ao gesto inicial de reverência «namaḥ»; pela lembrança do mantra, o Senhor (Pati), Śiva, permanece presente.

Word by Word

• namaskāra-ādi-saṃyuktam: joined with ‘namaḥ’ etc.
• namaskāra-ādi-saṃyuktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: namaskāra (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (कृदन्त, क्त; √yuj)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (समाहार/निर्देश: नमस्कारादिभिः संयुक्तम्), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; qualifies akṣaratrayam

• śivāya: to Śiva
• śivāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th), Singular

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• akṣara-trayam: the three syllables
• akṣara-trayam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvigu (द्विगु: त्रयम् अक्षराणि), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• jihvā-agre: on the tip of the tongue
• jihvā-agre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihvā (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: जिह्वायाः अग्रे), Neuter/masculine locative sense, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; adverbial location

• vartate: remains/abides
• vartate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• saphalam: fruitful
• saphalam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (सहितं फलम् यस्य/यत्), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicate adjective

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th), Singular

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st), Singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not a Jyotirliṅga account; it praises nāma/mantra on the tongue (jihvāgre) as making life ‘saphala’ (fruitful), aligning with bhakti as constant remembrance.

Significance: Encourages nāma-japa as a portable tīrtha: the tongue becomes the altar, and life gains sacred purpose through continual utterance.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: namaḥ śivāya (with the opening namaskāra; the verse highlights śi-vā-ya)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It declares that a life becomes truly fruitful when the devotee keeps the Panchakshara’s core (“śivāya”) united with reverent salutation (namaḥ) constantly on the tongue, indicating steady bhakti, purity of speech, and uninterrupted remembrance that draws Śiva’s grace.

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

The mantra “namaḥ śivāya” is a primary Saguna upāsanā in the Shiva Purana, commonly chanted before the Śiva-liṅga; by keeping the mantra alive in speech, the devotee maintains an inner worship that complements outer liṅga-pūjā.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular japa of “namaḥ śivāya” (especially with mindful pronunciation and restraint of speech), ideally paired with daily Śiva-pūjā such as liṅgābhiṣeka, wearing/using rudrākṣa for counting, and maintaining bhasma/tripundra as a Shaiva discipline.