Shiva Purana — Vidyesvara Samhita, Shloka 22

पञ्चकृत्यलक्षणनिर्णयः

Definition of Śiva’s Five Cosmic Acts—Pañcakṛtya

Devanagari script

अस्मात्पंचाक्षराज्जाता मातृकाः पंचभेदतः । तस्माच्छिरश्चतुर्वक्त्रात्त्रिपाद्गाय त्रिरेव हि

Transliteration

asmātpaṃcākṣarājjātā mātṛkāḥ paṃcabhedataḥ | tasmācchiraścaturvaktrāttripādgāya trireva hi

Translation

由此五字圣咒生出诸“母音字母”（Mātrikā），分为五类。亦由同一神圣源头而出三足的伽雅特丽（Gāyatrī），确然从四面梵天（Brahmā）流出。

Word by Word

• अस्मात्: from this
• अस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• पञ्चाक्षरात्: from the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्चाक्षरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); द्विगु-समास (पञ्च अक्षराणि यस्य/पञ्चाक्षरम्)

• जाताः: born/arisen
• जाताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); used predicatively with implied ‘अभवन्/सन्ति’

• मातृकाः: the मातृकās (letters/energies)
• मातृकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• पञ्चभेदतः: in five ways / by fivefold division
• पञ्चभेदतः: Hetu/Prakaraṇa (हेतु/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च + भेद (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: Adverbial indeclinable (अव्यय) formed with -तस् (तद्धित), meaning ‘by/according to’; ‘पञ्चभेद’ = fivefold division

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• शिरः: the head
• शिरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• चतुर्वक्त्रात्: from the four-faced (one)
• चतुर्वक्त्रात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् + वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: ‘चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्य’

• त्रिपात्: the three-footed (Gāyatrī)
• त्रिपात्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); द्विगु: ‘त्रयः पादाः’ (three-footed)

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Prakaraṇa (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिस् (अव्यय)
• Form: Numeral adverb (संख्याव्यय)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), causal/emphatic

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Sadashiva

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: (implied) gāyatrī (tripād)

Type: gayatri

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Lalita

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Phonemic cosmogony: mātṛkā (letters) arise in five divisions; Vedic chandas (Gāyatrī tripād) emerges via Brahmā’s four-faced articulation

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Gayatri
• Matrikas
• Panchakshara

FAQs

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

It presents the Panchākṣarī as a primordial Shaiva source from which sacred sound-structures (Mātrikās) unfold, implying that mantra is not merely speech but a power of Śiva that orders consciousness toward liberation.

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

In the Vidyeśvara context, worship of the Liṅga is supported by mantra as Śiva’s audible form; the Panchākṣarī functions as a direct Saguna approach—devotional and effective—while still pointing to Śiva as the transcendent source of all śabda.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), with disciplined pronunciation and contemplative absorption in its sound, is implied; it is a mantra-practice that aligns the worshipper with Śiva’s grace and inner purification.