Linga Purana

On the northern side, the Lord of gods, Nārāyaṇa—free from all affliction—was established, along with Indra and the other guardians of the worlds, each placed with devotion and in accordance with proper procedures. After installing, bathing, and worshipping Maheśvara, one should reverently place the trident—adored by the gods—in the right hand of the deity. In the left hand, the noose of Bhavānī and a lotus adorned with gold are to be placed. For Viṣṇu, one should carefully offer the conch, discus, mace, and lotus. Brahmā is to be given the rosary and the excellent water-pot; Indra, the thunderbolt; and Agni, the supreme weapon known as śakti. Yama receives the staff, Nirṛti the sword, and for the Lord of Night, the wondrous great noose of Varuṇa, called Nāga. Vāyu is honored with a staff, Kubera with a mace esteemed by the worlds, and Īśāna with an axe, each offering made in proper order. After performing a great worship of Shiva, complete with an offering of cooked food, one should worship all the other gods as thoroughly as one’s means allow. Having fed the Brahmins and finished the worship with care, the devotee should observe the Mahameru vow and offer it to Mahādeva. Attaining Mahameru, one delights together with Mahādevi for a long time, and surely attains union with her—of this there is no doubt. Any woman who, during the sacred month of Kartika, creates the auspicious goddess Uma—adorned with all ornaments and auspicious marks—and establishes her according to proper rites in gold, copper, or other metals, and likewise creates the Lord of gods, marked by all auspicious features, and installs before them Agni holding the ladle, Pitāmaha, and Nārāyaṇa the bestower, all adorned with ornaments, and carefully establishes them, surrounded by the guardians of the worlds and Siddhas, in the temple of Rudra—she should offer that vow with devotion. Such a woman, having attained the form of Bhavānī, rejoices together with Bhava. The meritorious vow of single-meal fasting is to be observed every month in succession. Beginning with the month of Mārgaśīrṣa and continuing until Kartika, this practice is established for the welfare of men, women, and all beings, O best of sages. A man who observes this vow attains union with Shiva; a woman attains union with Devi—there is no doubt, as spoken by Shiva himself. In all vows, having worshipped the Lord of gods, the consort of Uma, one should recite the five-syllabled mantra according to the prescribed method, O best of the twice-born. By recitation alone, especially in the context of vows, their completion is surely attained in no other way; therefore, one should recite the auspicious five-syllabled mantra. At this, the sages asked: “How does the five-syllabled mantra work, and what is its power? Please tell us step by step, O highly fortunate one; we are eager to hear.” The reply came: “Long ago, this meritorious teaching was spoken by the god Rudra, the Lord of gods, Śambhu, to Pārvatī. I will briefly relate it.” “O Lord, God of gods, Great Lord of all worlds,” Pārvatī had asked, “I wish to hear the true greatness of the five-syllabled mantra.” Shiva replied: “O Devi, the greatness of the five-syllabled mantra cannot be fully described even in hundreds of millions of years; therefore, listen to it in brief. When the time of dissolution arrives, when all that is stationary and moving is destroyed, when gods and demons, serpents and rakṣasas are gone, all merge into primal nature and, through you, enter dissolution. I alone remain, O Devi—there is no second anywhere. Within that primordial state, the Vedas and the scriptures, and the five-syllabled mantra are established; by my power, they have never been destroyed nor neglected. I alone existed, yet I became twofold, by the distinction of nature and self; and that Nārāyaṇa lies, the god, in a body made of Māyā. Reclining in yogic meditation in the midst of the waters, from his navel’s lotus was born the five-faced ancestor, Brahmā. Desiring to create the worlds but unable, being alone and unaided, Brahmā at first created ten mind-born sons, endowed with immense energy. For the success of their creation, the ancestor addressed me: ‘O Mahādeva, O great Lord, grant power to my sons.’ Thus commanded, I, bearing five faces, spoke the five-syllabled mantra with my five mouths to the lotus-born one. Receiving them with his five faces, Brahmā, the ancestor of the worlds, understood the Supreme Lord through the relation of the named and the name. O goddess, Śiva, worshipped in the three worlds, is the one denoted by the five-syllabled mantra; the supreme mantra is its denoter, and that five-syllabled mantra is established in him. Having understood its application according to the proper method and attained its accomplishment, the great-souled, five-faced one spoke to his sons, for the welfare of the world, the great mantra of five syllables, truly of great import. Having received that jewel of a mantra directly from the ancestor of the worlds, they sought to worship the god Śiva, who is higher than the highest. Then the blessed Lord, Śiva, supreme among the Trimūrti, was pleased and granted all knowledge and the eight powers, such as aṇimā. Those wise ones, having obtained boons and desiring further worship, on the beautiful summit of Mount Meru, on the mountain named Muñjavān—ever dear to me, always glorious, protected by my attendants—near that place, eager to create the worlds, they undertook intense austerity. For a thousand divine years, subsisting on air, those ancient sages performed austerity, standing, for the sake of receiving grace, O goddess. Seeing their great devotion, I immediately appeared before them, with the five-syllabled mantra, in the meter of the seers, with its deity, power, and seed. I explained to those noble ones the six-limbed nyāsa, the protective boundary of the directions, and all the applications, desiring the welfare of the worlds.