Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 20

पञ्चाक्षरमाहात्म्यम् / The Greatness of the Pañcākṣarī (Five-Syllable) Mantra

Devanagari script

शौर्यं वै जगति ख्यातिश्शिवमर्चयतो भवेत् । तस्मात्सर्वं परित्यज्य शिवैकाहितमानसः

Transliteration

śauryaṃ vai jagati khyātiśśivamarcayato bhavet | tasmātsarvaṃ parityajya śivaikāhitamānasaḥ

Translation

جو شِو کی پوجا کرتا ہے، اسے دنیا میں شجاعت اور شہرت حاصل ہوتی ہے۔ اس لیے سب کچھ چھوڑ کر دل و دماغ کو صرف شِو میں یکسو رکھو۔

Word by Word

• śauryam: valor
• śauryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaurya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative), Ekavacana

• vai: indeed
• vai: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle (निपात)

• jagati: in the world
• jagati: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/सप्तमी), Ekavacana

• khyātiḥ: fame
• khyātiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khyāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• śivam: Śiva
• śivam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative), Ekavacana

• arcayataḥ: of (one) worshipping
• arcayataḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arc (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (वर्तमानकृदन्त/शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive), Ekavacana; ‘of one who worships’

• bhavet: may arise / would be
• bhavet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Liṅ lakāra (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (तस्मात्-प्रयोग), discourse connector (hetu/therefore)

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative), Ekavacana

• parityajya: having renounced
• parityajya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यबन्त), ‘having abandoned completely’

• śiva-eka-āhita-mānasaḥ: one whose mind is solely set on Śiva
• śiva-eka-āhita-mānasaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + āhita (√dhā + kta; आहित) + mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) ‘whose mind is fixed solely on Śiva’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā vibhakti, Ekavacana

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: General injunction: Śiva-arcana yields both laukika (worldly) and pāramārthika (spiritual) fruits; not tied to a specific jyotirliṅga narrative.

Significance: Encourages ekāgratā (one-pointedness) toward Śiva; such niṣṭhā is treated in Siddhānta as a key upāya preparing the soul for descent of grace.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that Śiva-bhakti yields both worldly excellence (valor and renown) and, more importantly, inner steadiness—by urging the devotee to renounce distractions and anchor the mind in Śiva alone, aligning with the Shaiva Siddhanta ideal of turning from pāśa (bondage) toward Pati (the Lord).

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

“Worship of Śiva” here naturally includes saguna upāsanā such as Śiva-arcana to the Liṅga—offering water, bilva leaves, and mantra—because the Liṅga is the primary icon through which devotees cultivate single-pointed devotion, eventually maturing toward deeper realization of Śiva’s transcendence.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

The practical takeaway is ekāgratā (one-pointedness): perform Śiva-arcana with japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and mentally relinquish competing aims during worship—keeping the mind placed only in Śiva.