Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 43

शिशुकस्य शिवशास्त्रप्राप्तिः (Śiśuka’s Attainment of Śaiva Teaching and Grace)

Devanagari script

सप्रसादाश्च ते मंत्राः स्वाधिकाराद्यपेक्षया । सर्वाधिकारस्त्वेको ऽयं मंत्र एवेश्वराज्ञया

Transliteration

saprasādāśca te maṃtrāḥ svādhikārādyapekṣayā | sarvādhikārastveko 'yaṃ maṃtra eveśvarājñayā

Translation

诸咒确能赐予恩泽，皆随行者之资质与因缘而异；然依主宰之命，唯此一咒具普遍权威，适合一切众生。

Word by Word

• स-प्रसादाः: grace-bestowing/with grace
• स-प्रसादाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (सह-अर्थ) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—प्रसादेन सह (with grace/favor)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• स्व-अधिकार-आदि-अपेक्षया: with respect to (their) own eligibility etc.
• स्व-अधिकार-आदि-अपेक्षया: Hetu/Instrument (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + अपेक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—स्वाधिकारादीनाम् अपेक्षया (with regard to one’s own eligibility etc.)

• सर्व-अधिकारः: universal eligibility
• सर्व-अधिकारः: Pratijna-predicative (विधेय/Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—सर्वेषाम् अधिकारः (universal eligibility)

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier of मन्त्रः)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: alone
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (only/indeed)

• ईश्वर-आज्ञया: by the Lord’s command
• ईश्वर-आज्ञया: Hetu/Instrument (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—ईश्वरस्य आज्ञया (by the Lord’s command)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (Implied) Namaḥ Śivāya as the universally eligible mantra

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: liberating

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

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

It teaches that while many mantras bear fruit according to a seeker’s qualification, the Lord grants one Shiva-mantra a universal scope—accessible for all as a direct means to receive grace and progress toward liberation.

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

A universally authorized Shiva-mantra supports Saguna worship—such as Linga-puja—by giving a single, dependable practice that any devotee can employ to invoke Shiva’s presence and prasada without complex restrictions.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Regular mantra-japa of the universally sanctioned Shiva-mantra (commonly understood in the Purana’s Shaiva context as the Panchakshara) with devotion, ideally alongside simple Shiva worship such as Linga-archana and remembrance of Shiva’s grace.