Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

उत्तमं रुद्रदैवत्यं मध्यमं विष्णुदैवतम् । अधमं ब्रह्मदैवत्यमित्याहुरनुपूर्वशः । यदुच्चनीचस्वरितैःस्पष्टास्पष्टपदाक्षरैः । मंत्रमुच्चारयेद्वाचा वाचिको ऽयं जपस्स्मृतः

Transliteration

uttamaṃ rudradaivatyaṃ madhyamaṃ viṣṇudaivatam | adhamaṃ brahmadaivatyamityāhuranupūrvaśaḥ | yaduccanīcasvaritaiḥspaṣṭāspaṣṭapadākṣaraiḥ | maṃtramuccārayedvācā vāciko 'yaṃ japassmṛtaḥ

Translation

ท่านทั้งหลายกล่าวตามลำดับว่า การภาวนาชั้นสูงสุดมีพระรุทระเป็นเทวะผู้กำกับ; ชั้นกลางมีพระวิษณุเป็นเทวะผู้กำกับ; และชั้นต่ำสุดมีพระพรหมาเป็นเทวะผู้กำกับ. เมื่อเปล่งมนต์ด้วยวาจา โดยใช้น้ำเสียงสูง ต่ำ และสวริต พร้อมพยางค์และคำที่ชัดหรือไม่ชัด นั่นเรียกว่า “วาจิกชปะ” (การภาวนาด้วยเสียง).

Word by Word

• uttamam: the best
• uttamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• rudra-daivatyam: having Rudra as the deity
• rudra-daivatyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudra (प्रातिपदिक) + daivatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘रुद्रः देवता यस्य’ (having Rudra as deity)

• madhyamam: the middle
• madhyamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• viṣṇu-daivatam: having Viṣṇu as the deity
• viṣṇu-daivatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + daivata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘विष्णुः देवता यस्य’

• adhamam: the lowest
• adhamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• brahma-daivatyam: having Brahmā as the deity
• brahma-daivatyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + daivatya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ब्रह्मा देवता यस्य’

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-उद्धरण/समाप्तिसूचक

• āhuḥ: they said
• āhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āh (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• anupūrvaśaḥ: in order
• anupūrvaśaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anupūrvaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (in due order/serially)

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• ucca-nīca-svaritaiḥ: with high/low/svarita tones
• ucca-nīca-svaritaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ucca (प्रातिपदिक) + nīca (प्रातिपदिक) + svarita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (ucca+nīca+svarita) ‘with high, low and svarita tones’

• spaṣṭa-aspaṣṭa-pada-akṣaraiḥ: with clearly/unclearly articulated syllables of words
• spaṣṭa-aspaṣṭa-pada-akṣaraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: spaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + aspaṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘पदानां अक्षरैः (स्पष्टैः/अस्पष्टैः)’

• mantram: the mantra
• mantram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• uccārayet: should pronounce
• uccārayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vācā: with the voice
• vācā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• vācikaḥ: verbal (aloud)
• vācikaḥ: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vācika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• japaḥ: recitation
• japaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• smṛtaḥ: is regarded (as)
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः ‘is considered’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Rudra

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Ranks japa by subtlety and devatā-association (Rudra/Viṣṇu/Brahmā), reinforcing Śaiva hierarchy: the most interiorized recitation aligns with Rudra and yields the highest spiritual efficacy.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Vishnu
• Brahma

FAQs

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

The verse ranks modes of mantra-recitation by their presiding divinity, placing Rudra at the summit—affirming a Shaiva Siddhanta orientation where Pati (Shiva/Rudra) is the highest refuge, and japa becomes a disciplined means to purify speech and mind toward liberation.

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

By identifying Rudra as the highest presiding deity for mantra practice, it supports Saguna Shiva worship—such as Linga-upasana—where mantra-japa is paired with devotion and ritual focus, making the practitioner’s utterance an offering to Shiva.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

It specifically describes vācika-japa: audible mantra repetition with attention to tonal intonation (svara) and articulation; as a practical takeaway, begin with verbal japa (often alongside Tripuṇḍra, rudrākṣa, or Linga-puja) and refine clarity and steadiness of recitation.