Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 8
षडध्व-शुद्धिः
Purification of the Six Adhvans / Sixfold Cosmic Path
मंत्राध्वनि न गण्येत तथासौ मंत्रनायकः । कलाध्वनो व्यापकत्वं व्याप्यत्वं चेतराध्वनाम्
maṃtrādhvani na gaṇyeta tathāsau maṃtranāyakaḥ | kalādhvano vyāpakatvaṃ vyāpyatvaṃ cetarādhvanām
มรรคแห่งมนตระไม่ควรถูกนับเป็นหมวดแยกต่างหาก; เช่นเดียวกันองค์ประธานแห่งมนตระ (พระศิวะ) มิได้อยู่ในบัญชีทัตตวะ อธวะแห่งกะลาเป็นฝ่ายแผ่ซ่าน ส่วนอธวะอื่นเป็นฝ่ายถูกแผ่ซ่าน
Suta Goswami (narrating Shaiva metaphysics to the sages at Naimisharanya in the Vayu Samhita context)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Īśāna
Role: teaching
FAQs
It teaches a Shaiva metaphysical hierarchy: mantra ultimately resolves into Shiva, the Mantra-nāyaka (Lord of mantra), while the kalā-principle is described as pervading—indicating a subtler, more comprehensive level that underlies and permeates other enumerated paths.
In Linga/Saguna worship, mantra is not merely a sound-form but a direct approach to Shiva as the presiding consciousness of mantra. The verse supports the view that mantra-japa and Linga-upasana are efficacious because Shiva himself is the inner Lord of mantra, not separate from its power.
Mantra-japa with Shiva-bhavana (recognizing Shiva as the Mantra-nāyaka) is implied: recite the Panchakshara or Shiva-mantras with the contemplation that the mantra’s potency is Shiva’s own pervasion, not merely an external formula.