Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

सर्वज्ञः परिपूर्णश्च शिवो ज्ञेयश्शिवागमे । तस्याभिधानमन्त्रो ऽयमभिधेयश्च स स्मृतः

Transliteration

sarvajñaḥ paripūrṇaśca śivo jñeyaśśivāgame | tasyābhidhānamantro 'yamabhidheyaśca sa smṛtaḥ

Translation

ในคัมภีร์ไศวาคม พระศิวะพึงรู้ว่าเป็นผู้รอบรู้และสมบูรณ์พร้อม มนตร์นี้เป็น ‘อภিধาน’ คือมนตร์นามของพระองค์ และพระองค์เองทรงเป็น ‘อภิเธยะ’ คือความหมายที่มนตร์ชี้ถึง.

Word by Word

• सर्वज्ञः: all-knowing
• सर्वज्ञः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); बहुव्रीहिः ‘सर्वं जानाति’

• परिपूर्णः: complete, fully perfect
• परिपूर्णः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• शिवः: Śiva
• शिवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• ज्ञेयः: to be known
• ज्ञेयः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञेय (कृदन्त; ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययार्थक (gerundive: ‘to be known’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिव-आगमे: in the Śiva-āgama (scriptural tradition)
• शिव-आगमे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + आगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular); ‘शिवस्य आगमः’ (genitive-tatpuruṣa)

• तस्य: of him/that (Śiva)
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular); सर्वनाम

• अभिधान-मन्त्रः: the denotative/name-mantra
• अभिधान-मन्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिधान (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); ‘अभिधानं (नाम) यस्य सः’/‘अभिधानरूपः मन्त्रः’ (determinative)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); सर्वनाम

• अभिधेयः: the denoted (meaning)
• अभिधेयः: Vidheyaviśeṣaṇa (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिधेय (कृदन्त; धा/धा? actually √धा?; lexical ‘that which is denoted’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विशेष्य-धर्म

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• स: he/that
• स: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); सर्वनाम

• स्मृतः: is said/remembered
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is called/remembered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It establishes Śiva as Pati—the all-knowing, all-complete Supreme Lord—and teaches that mantra is not mere sound but a sacred means by which the seeker recognizes and approaches the very Reality it denotes.

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

By stating that Śiva is both the one denoted (abhidheya) and the one known through scriptural means, it supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-upāsanā and mantra-japa—as valid gateways to realizing the Supreme Śiva taught in the Āgamas.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Mantra-japa with understanding (bhāva) is implied: repeat Śiva’s name-mantra while contemplating that the mantra points to Śiva Himself, the omniscient Lord who grants liberation.