Shiva Purana — Kailasa Samhita, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 60

मुक्तयतिदेहसंस्काररहस्यं — The Esoteric Rites for the Bodies of Liberated Ascetics

Devanagari script

पंचभिर्ब्रह्मभिस्स्पृष्ट्वा जपेत्स्थलमनन्यधीः । यो देवानामुपक्रम्य यः परः स महेश्वरः

Transliteration

paṃcabhirbrahmabhisspṛṣṭvā japetsthalamananyadhīḥ | yo devānāmupakramya yaḥ paraḥ sa maheśvaraḥ

Translation

Matapos hipuin (at gawing banal) ang sagradong pook sa pamamagitan ng limang Brahma-mantra, magsagawa ng japa roon nang hindi nalilihis ang isip. Siya na higit pa sa mga diyos, na nilalapitan maging ng mga deva—Siya lamang ang Mahādeva, Maheśvara.

Word by Word

• पञ्चभिः: with five (mantras/words)
• पञ्चभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चन् (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural) संख्या-शब्द

• ब्रह्मभिः: with Brahma(-mantras)/with ‘brahma’ words
• ब्रह्मभिः: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural)

• स्पृष्ट्वा: having touched
• स्पृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्पृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person/प्रथम), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• स्थलम्: the place/spot
• स्थलम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• अनन्यधीः: one whose mind is undistracted
• अनन्यधीः: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्य + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); बहुव्रीहि—‘यस्य धीः अनन्या’

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), बहुवचन (Plural)

• उपक्रम्य: having approached/undertaken
• उपक्रम्य: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having approached/undertaken’

• यः: who
• यः: कर्ता (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• परः: supreme, beyond
• परः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: कर्ता (Correlative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• महेश्वरः: Maheshvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरः: कर्ता (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Kailasha Samhita teaching to the sages, summarizing Shaiva practice and Shiva’s supremacy)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Affirms Maheśvara as transcendent over the devas; japa at a sanctified spot is framed as a means toward Śiva’s grace (anugraha) and release from bonds.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: यो देवानामुपक्रम्य यः परः स महेश्वरः

Type: stotra

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Devas
• Maheśvara

FAQs

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

It teaches that true worship is focused mantra-japa performed in a sanctified space, and it affirms Śiva as Pati—the Supreme Lord beyond even the devas—who grants liberation when approached with one-pointed devotion.

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

By emphasizing consecration of the place and disciplined japa, it supports Saguna upāsanā (approach to Śiva through form, mantra, and ritual purity), while declaring that the very deity so worshiped is also Para—transcendent beyond all gods.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Sanctify the worship spot with sacred Vedic formulas (the “five Brahma-mantras” as a purificatory act) and then perform steady, undistracted mantra-japa—ideally with Shaiva aids like bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa if part of one’s observance.