Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 16

साधक-दीक्षा तथा मन्त्रसाधन

Puraścaraṇa and the Discipline of the Mantra-Sādhaka

Devanagari script

कोटिवारं तदर्धं वा तदर्धं वा जपेच्छिवम् । लक्षविंशतिकं वापि दशलक्षमथापि वा

Transliteration

koṭivāraṃ tadardhaṃ vā tadardhaṃ vā japecchivam | lakṣaviṃśatikaṃ vāpi daśalakṣamathāpi vā

Translation

شیو کے نام/منتر کا جپ ایک کروڑ بار کرے—یا اس کا نصف، یا پھر اس کا بھی نصف؛ یا بیس لاکھ، یا دس لاکھ بھی، اپنی استطاعت کے مطابق۔

Word by Word

• कोटि-वारम्: a crore times
• कोटि-वारम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्यापूर्वपद/परिमाणवाचक: ‘कोट्या वारम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• तत्-अर्धम्: half of that
• तत्-अर्धम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (‘तस्य अर्धम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (विकल्प/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (Disjunctive particle: ‘or’)

• तत्-अर्धम्: half of that
• तत्-अर्धम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (विकल्प/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शिवम्: Shiva (name/mantra)
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• लक्ष-विṃशतिकम्: twenty lakhs (2,000,000)
• लक्ष-विṃशतिकम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + विंशति (प्रातिपदिक) + क (प्रत्यय)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (संख्यासमास: ‘लक्षाणां विंशतिः’ = 20 lakhs), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (विकल्प/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (also/even)

• दश-लक्षम्: ten lakhs (1,000,000)
• दश-लक्षम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (‘दश लक्षाणि’ = 10 lakhs), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• अथ: then/further
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक/प्रस्तावार्थक अव्यय (then/and further)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (विकल्प/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: Not tied to a single jyotirliṅga; it prescribes large-scale japa counts, reflecting vrata-like intensive practice that can be undertaken at any Śiva shrine or in home worship.

Significance: Encourages sustained nāma/mantra-japa as a means to attenuate pāśa (bondage) and invite anugraha; flexible counts accommodate adhikāra (capacity).

Mantra Metadata

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches disciplined repetition (japa) of Śiva’s name/mantra as a direct purifier of the bound soul (paśu), recommending large counts while also allowing graded practice according to capacity—emphasizing steady devotion over mere display.

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

Japa supports Saguna Śiva-upāsanā by fixing the mind on Śiva’s gracious presence; it commonly accompanies Liṅga worship as inner offering, making external pūjā fruitful through sustained remembrance.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Mantra-japa of Śiva—ideally the Pañcākṣarī (“Namaḥ Śivāya”) or Śiva-nāma—performed in a vowed count (lakhs/crores), as a structured sādhanā that can be scaled to one’s strength and time.