Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 9

पञ्चावरणमार्गस्थं योगेश्वरस्तोत्रम्

Pañcāvaraṇa-mārga Stotra to Yogeśvara Śiva

Devanagari script

महाभुज महासार महागुण महाकथ । महाबल महामाय महारस महारथ

Transliteration

mahābhuja mahāsāra mahāguṇa mahākatha | mahābala mahāmāya mahārasa mahāratha

Translation

اے مہابُھج! اے مہاسار! اے مہاگُنوں والے! اے مہاکَتھا کے سرچشمہ! اے مہابَل! اے مہامایا کے پیکر! اے مہارَس (اعلیٰ ترین سرور) کے مالک! اے مہارَتھ (بے مثال سورما)!

Word by Word

• mahābhuja: O great-armed one
• mahābhuja: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bhuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: ‘great-armed’

• mahāsāra: O one of great essence
• mahāsāra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + sāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāguṇa: O greatly virtuous one
• mahāguṇa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahākatha: O one of great renown
• mahākatha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + katha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); reading as mahākatha (address), i.e., ‘of great fame/story’; text may intend mahākathā (f.) in other recensions

• mahābala: O mighty one
• mahābala: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāmāya: O one of great māyā
• mahāmāya: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + māyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन); stem māyā used as qualifier ‘possessing great māyā’

• mahārasa: O one of great delight/essence
• mahārasa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• mahāratha: O great warrior
• mahāratha: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + ratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: महाभुज महासार महागुण महाकथ । महाबल महामाय महारस महारथ

Type: stotra

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

This verse functions as a garland of Shiva’s names, contemplating Him as the supreme Pati—full of auspicious qualities, the inner essence of all, and the giver of spiritual bliss (rasa), inspiring devotion and liberation-oriented remembrance.

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

These epithets support Saguna-upāsanā: worship of Shiva with attributes. In Linga worship, such names are recited as nāma-japa/archana while recognizing that the Linga signifies the same supreme reality beyond attributes.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Use the names as nāma-japa before or after chanting the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), ideally with vibhūti (Tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa, meditating on Shiva as the powerful Lord whose Māyā is under His mastery.