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Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 23

मन्त्रसिद्ध्यर्थं गुरुपूजा–आज्ञा–पौरश्चर्यविधिः / Guru-Authorization, Offerings, and Puraścaraṇa for Mantra-Siddhi

विद्यास्थानं स्वकं रूपमृषिञ्छन्दो ऽधिदैवतम् । बीजं शक्तिं तथा वाक्यं स्मृत्वा पञ्चाक्षरीं जपेत् । उत्तमं मानसं जाप्यमुपांशुं चैवमध्यमम् । अधमं वाचिकं प्राहुरागमार्थविशारदाः

vidyāsthānaṃ svakaṃ rūpamṛṣiñchando 'dhidaivatam | bījaṃ śaktiṃ tathā vākyaṃ smṛtvā pañcākṣarīṃ japet | uttamaṃ mānasaṃ jāpyamupāṃśuṃ caivamadhyamam | adhamaṃ vācikaṃ prāhurāgamārthaviśāradāḥ

เมื่อระลึกถึงที่ตั้งแห่งวิทยาศักดิ์สิทธิ์ของมนต์ รูปของมนต์เอง ฤๅษี ฉันท์ และเทวะผู้กำกับ—พร้อมทั้งพยางค์บีชะ ศักติ และวากยะของมนต์—พึงสวดภาวนามนต์ปัญจักษรี. การภาวนาที่ประเสริฐสุดคือในใจ ระดับกลางคือกระซิบ และต่ำสุดคือกล่าวออกเสียง—ดังที่ผู้รู้ความหมายแห่งอาคมประกาศไว้.

vidyā-sthānamthe seat/place of knowledge
vidyā-sthānam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvidyā (प्रातिपदिक) + sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘विद्यायाः स्थानम्’
svakamone's own
svakam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootsvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
rūpamform
rūpam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootrūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
ṛṣimthe seer (ṛṣi)
ṛṣim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
chandaḥthe metre
chandaḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootchandas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (form: छन्दः)
adhidaivatamthe presiding deity
adhidaivatam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootadhi (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + daivata (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘अधि-दैवतम्’ (presiding deity)
bījamseed-syllable
bījam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootbīja (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
śaktimpower (śakti)
śaktim:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootśakti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
tathāand also
tathā:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottathā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय/अनुक्रमसूचक (and/also/likewise)
vākyamthe statement/utterance
vākyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvākya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन
smṛtvāhaving remembered
smṛtvā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootsmṛ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having remembered’
pañca-akṣarīmthe five-syllabled (mantra)
pañca-akṣarīm:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootpañca (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + akṣarī (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास: ‘पञ्च अक्षराणि यस्याः सा’ (five-syllabled mantra)
japetshould recite
japet:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjap (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
uttamamthe best
uttamam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
mānasammental
mānasam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootmānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
jāpyamto be recited
jāpyam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootjap (धातु)
Formतव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘जपनीयम्’
upāṃśumin a low voice (muttering)
upāṃśum:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootupāṃśu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (muttered/low-voiced)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)
madhyamamthe middle (type)
madhyamam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootmadhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
adhamamthe lowest
adhamam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootadhama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
vācikamverbal/aloud
vācikam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootvācika (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण
prāhuḥthey said
prāhuḥ:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpra-āh (धातु)
Formलिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन
āgama-artha-viśāradāḥthose skilled in the meaning of the Āgamas
āgama-artha-viśāradāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootāgama (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + viśārada (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘आगमस्य अर्थे विशारदाः’

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s Agamic teaching as preserved in the Vāyavīyasaṃhitā)

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Significance: Establishes orthodox mantra-vidhi (ṛṣi/chandas/devatā/bīja/śakti/vākya) for pañcākṣarī, presenting correct recollection as a safeguard that makes japa spiritually fruitful (phala-prada) rather than merely phonetic.

Mantra: नमः शिवाय (Namaḥ Śivāya)

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Form: Umā

Role: liberating

S
Shiva

FAQs

It teaches that Pañcākṣarī-japa is not mere sound but a conscious Shaiva discipline: one remembers the mantra’s sacred components (ṛṣi, chandas, devatā, bīja, śakti) and then internalizes worship, with mental japa held as the purest and most transformative.

The Five-syllable mantra is a direct means of approaching Saguna Shiva as the presiding deity (adhidaivatam). By refining japa from spoken to whispered to mental, devotion moves from external ritual supports (like Linga worship) toward inward, subtle communion—while still honoring Shiva as Pati, the Lord who grants grace.

Practice Pañcākṣarī-japa with mantra-vidhi: recollect its ṛṣi, chandas, devatā, bīja and śakti, then perform japa preferably as mānasa (mental), or upāṃśu (whispered) if needed; avoid reliance on loud vācika japa as the primary mode when aiming for deeper meditation.