Shloka 17

पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः

Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya

Devanagari script

वाचकोऽयमहं वाच्यो मंत्रोऽयं हि मदात्मकः । तदनुस्मरणं नित्यं ममानुस्मरणं भवेत्

Transliteration

vācako'yamahaṃ vācyo maṃtro'yaṃ hi madātmakaḥ | tadanusmaraṇaṃ nityaṃ mamānusmaraṇaṃ bhavet

Translation

جپ کرنے والا بھی میں ہی ہوں اور جپیا جانے والا (واچْی) بھی میں ہی؛ یہ منتر حقیقتاً میرے ہی سوروپ کا ہے۔ لہٰذا اس کا دائمی یاد کرنا دراصل میری ہی یاد ہے۔

Word by Word

• vācakaḥ: the speaker/reciter
• vācakaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Determiner of vācakaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• aham: I
• aham: Sāmānādhikaraṇya (समानाधिकरण/Apposition to vācakaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• vācyaḥ: the one to be spoken/denoted
• vācyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• mantraḥ: the mantra
• mantraḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Determiner of mantraḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle/निपात), emphasis/causal nuance

• madātmakaḥ: of my very nature
• madātmakaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate adjective of mantraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ātmaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (genitive determinative/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): mad-ātmaka = ‘having my nature’

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Determiner of anusmaraṇam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• anusmaraṇam: remembrance/recalling
• anusmaraṇam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anu-smṛ (धातु) + ana (प्रत्यय) → anusmaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); bhāva-nāma (action noun/भावनाम) from dhātu स्मृ with upasarga अनु

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa-avyaya (adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय)

• mama: of me/my
• mama: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम)

• anusmaraṇam: remembrance
• anusmaraṇam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anu-smṛ (धातु) + ana (प्रत्यय) → anusmaraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); bhāva-nāma (action noun/भावनाम)

• bhavet: would be/should become
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative/विधिलिङ्), Prathama puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Speaker

Lord Shiva

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: Oṃkāra (implied): the mantra is madātmaka—of Śiva’s very essence.

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches mantra-tattva: Shiva is both the revealer and the revealed meaning of the mantra, so continuous japa becomes direct Shiva-smaraṇa leading toward liberation.

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

Just as the Linga is a sacred support for focusing on Shiva, the mantra is a sonic support; by remembering the mantra, the devotee remembers Saguna Shiva and is led inward toward His higher, formless reality.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Daily, steady mantra-japa with mindful remembrance—treating repetition as Shiva-smaraṇa—ideally supported by Shaiva disciplines like purity, devotion, and meditative focus (dhyāna).