Brahmā, the ancestor of the worlds, received with his five faces the sacred teachings. Through the relationship of the name and the named, he came to understand the Supreme Lord. O gentle goddess, know that Śiva, who is worshipped throughout the three worlds, is the very one signified by the five-syllabled mantra. The supreme mantra is its revealer, and this five-syllabled mantra is firmly established in Śiva himself. Once Brahmā understood the proper method and attained the accomplishment of this mantra, the great-souled, five-faced creator spoke to his own sons. For the welfare of the world, he imparted to them the profound and significant five-syllabled mantra. The sons, having received this jewel of a mantra directly from Brahmā, yearned to worship Śiva, who is higher than the highest. Pleased by their devotion, the blessed Lord Śiva, supreme among the Trimūrti, granted them all knowledge and the eight yogic powers, such as aṇimā. These wise ones, having received boons and still desiring to deepen their worship, went to the beautiful summit of Mount Meru, to the mountain called Muñjavān. There, ever dear to me and always glorious, protected by my attendants and eager to create the worlds, they undertook intense austerities. For a thousand divine years, subsisting on air alone, those ancient sages performed their austerities, standing firm, seeking grace. Seeing their great devotion, I immediately appeared before them, manifesting with the five-syllabled mantra, in the meter of the seers, along with its deity, power, and seed. To those noble ones, I explained the six-limbed nyāsa, the protective boundary in all directions, and all the applications of the mantra, desiring always the welfare of the worlds. Hearing the greatness of the mantra, those ascetic sages performed every application as instructed. By the power of that mantra, at that very time, the worlds came into being—gods, demons, humans, the castes and all their divisions, and all the excellent dharmas. Just as in former ages the worlds, the Vedas, and the great sages arose from previous cycles, so too have all these emerged through the power of the five-syllabled mantra. The eternal dharmas, the gods, and this entire universe endure. Now, O goddess, I shall explain this in full—listen with all your attention. This statement, though concise in syllables, is vast in meaning; it is the very essence of the Veda, bestowing liberation, established by divine command, free from doubt, and of the nature of Shiva. Endowed with countless perfections, divine, pleasing to the minds of beings, clear in meaning and profound—such is my supreme utterance. The mantra, easily pronounced, accomplishes all purposes; it is the seed of all knowledge, the foremost and most beautiful of mantras. Subtle beyond perception yet of immense significance, it is to be known like the seed of the banyan tree. That Veda transcends the three gunas, is all-knowing, and the lord of all actions. The one-syllabled mantra 'Om' is Shiva, present everywhere; in the subtle six-syllabled mantra, Shiva himself abides as the five-syllabled form. He stands as both the signified and the signifier, by his very nature—Shiva is the signified, being the object of knowledge, and the mantra is called the signifier. This relationship of signified and signifier is beginningless and established between them, whether in the Veda or the Shaiva scriptures, wherever the six-syllabled mantra is found. The mantra is always the principal one; in the world, the five-syllabled mantra is considered foremost. What need is there for many mantras or for lengthy scriptures? For one in whose heart this supreme mantra abides, whatever is studied, heard, or practiced by him—all is accomplished. Whoever, being learned, recites it properly after studying according to the rule—this alone is knowledge of Shiva, this alone is the supreme state. This alone is Brahma-knowledge; therefore, the wise should always recite the five-syllabled mantra with the praṇava—this is my very heart. Now I shall explain the most secret, direct, unsurpassed knowledge of liberation—more secret than the secret—regarding this mantra: its seer, meter, and presiding deity. The seed, the power, the tone, the letter, the place for each syllable—Vamadeva is the seer, Paṅkti is the meter, as declared. O beautiful-faced one, I myself am Shiva, the deity of this mantra; the syllables beginning with 'na' are the seeds, and they are of the nature of the five elements. Know the praṇava as the Self, all-pervading and imperishable; and you, O goddess, revered by all the gods, are indeed the power. Your praṇava is one thing, mine is another; your praṇava, O goddess, is the source of the mantras—of this there is no doubt. The vowels 'a', 'ā', and 'ma' are established in my praṇava; 'u', 'ma', and 'a' are indeed in order. Know your praṇava as the supreme, triple-measured, and prolonged; the sage of oṃkāra is Brahma, and its form is white. The meter is the goddess Gāyatrī, the supreme soul is the presiding deity; the first and fourth are udātta, and the second likewise. The fifth is svarita, the middle is called niṣadha; the letter 'na' is yellow in color, and its place is considered to be facing east. Indra is the presiding deity, the meter is Gāyatrī, Gautama is the sage; the letter 'ma' is black in color, and its place is to the south. The meter is Anuṣṭup, the sage is Atri, Rudra is said to be the deity; the letter 'śi' is smoky in color, and its place is to the west. Viśvāmitra is the sage, Triṣṭup is the meter, Viṣṇu is the deity; the letter 'va' is golden in color, and its place is to the north. Brahmā is the presiding deity, Bṛhatī is the meter, Aṅgirā is the sage; the letter 'ya' is red in color, and its place is upward, the Virāṭ. The meter is Ṛṣi, Bharadvāja is the sage, Skanda is said to be the deity; I will now declare its nyāsa, which bestows all accomplishments and is auspicious. It is said that the threefold nyāsa removes all sins; it is remembered as threefold according to creation, maintenance, and dissolution.