Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 29

मन्त्रसिद्ध्यर्थं गुरुपूजा–आज्ञा–पौरश्चर्यविधिः / Guru-Authorization, Offerings, and Puraścaraṇa for Mantra-Siddhi

Devanagari script

वाचिकस्त्वेक एव स्यादुपांशुः शतमुच्यते । साहस्रं मानसः प्रोक्तः सगर्भस्तु शताधिकः । प्राणायामसमायुक्तस्सगर्भो जप उच्यते । आद्यंतयोरगर्भो ऽपि प्राणायामः प्रशस्यते

Transliteration

vācikastveka eva syādupāṃśuḥ śatamucyate | sāhasraṃ mānasaḥ proktaḥ sagarbhastu śatādhikaḥ | prāṇāyāmasamāyuktassagarbho japa ucyate | ādyaṃtayoragarbho 'pi prāṇāyāmaḥ praśasyate

Translation

Trong các loại japa: tụng niệm bằng lời (vācika) chỉ tính như một; tụng niệm thì thầm (upāṃśu) được nói là tính như một trăm; và tụng niệm trong tâm (mānasa) được tuyên là tính như một nghìn. Japa thực hành cùng với prāṇāyāma được gọi là sa-garbha (giữ mantra ở bên trong) và vượt trội hơn cả trăm lần. Ngay cả prāṇāyāma a-garbha—thực hiện ở lúc bắt đầu và lúc kết thúc (của japa)—cũng được tán dương.

Word by Word

• vācikaḥ: vocal (japa)
• vācikaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vācika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; (japaḥ) ‘spoken’

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), contrastive

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• syāt: is/should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person, Singular; ‘would be/is to be’

• upāṃśuḥ: whispered (japa)
• upāṃśuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāṃśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• śatam: a hundred
• śatam: Karma (कर्म)/Pradhāna (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; numeral used predicatively

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Passive (कर्मणि), 3rd person, Singular

• sāhasram: a thousand
• sāhasram: Pradhāna (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāhasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; numeral

• mānasaḥ: mental (japa)
• mānasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; (japaḥ) mental

• proktaḥ: is declared
• proktaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया as predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vac (धातु) + ta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; used predicatively ‘said/declared’

• sa-garbhaḥ: with kumbhaka (sagarbha)
• sa-garbhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; कर्मधारयः—‘garbhaḥ saha’ = ‘with retention/with (breath) holding’

• tu: and/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• śata-adhikaḥ: exceeding a hundred
• śata-adhikaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śata (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः—‘śatena adhikaḥ’ (more than a hundred)

• prāṇāyāma-samāyuktaḥ: combined with breath-control
• prāṇāyāma-samāyuktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक) + samāyukta (प्रातिपदिक; sam-ā-√yuj + kta)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; तत्पुरुषः—‘prāṇāyāmena samāyuktaḥ’ (endowed with prāṇāyāma)

• sa-garbhaḥ: sagarbha
• sa-garbhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa + garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• japaḥ: japa
• japaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ucyate: is called
• ucyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Passive, 3rd person, Singular

• ādya-antayoḥ: of the beginning and the end
• ādya-antayoḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter dual sense, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); द्वन्द्वः—‘ādyaś ca antaś ca’

• a-garbhaḥ: without kumbhaka (agarbha)
• a-garbhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (नञ्) + garbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; negative compound (नञ्)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• prāṇāyāmaḥ: breath-control
• prāṇāyāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇāyāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• praśasyate: is praised/recommended
• praśasyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√śaṃs (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), Passive (कर्मणि), 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva’s yogic teaching within the Vayu Samhita discourse)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Teaches hierarchy of japa efficacy and the sanctifying role of prāṇāyāma, supporting purification of the paśu for Śiva’s grace.

Shakti Dimension

Role: teaching

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It grades japa by interiority: as worship moves from speech to whisper to pure mind, it becomes subtler and more sattvic, aligning the devotee’s awareness toward Shiva (Pati) and loosening bondage (pāśa) through disciplined attention and breath.

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

Linga-worship commonly begins with audible or whispered mantra and offerings, but this verse points devotees toward inward worship—mental japa supported by prāṇāyāma—so external pūjā matures into internal communion with Saguna Shiva and, ultimately, contemplation of Shiva beyond form.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice mantra japa with prāṇāyāma: begin with a short prāṇāyāma, perform japa (preferably mental), and conclude with prāṇāyāma again; this is praised as sa-garbha japa and considered more potent than merely vocal repetition.