Hearing of the profound power and greatness of the mantra, the ascetic sages devoted themselves to its practice, performing every application exactly as they had been instructed. Through the potency of this mantra, at that very time, the worlds came into being—worlds populated by gods, demons, and humans, with all their castes, divisions, and the excellent dharmas that uphold them. Just as in previous ages, the worlds, the Vedas, and the great sages had once arisen from earlier cycles, so too now did they come forth, all through the strength of the five-syllabled mantra. These eternal dharmas, the gods, and the entire universe have their foundation in this; now, listen with full attention as I explain it all. This mantra, though concise in its syllables, encompasses vast meaning. It is the very essence of the Veda, a bestower of liberation, established by divine command, entirely free from doubt, and of the very nature of Shiva himself. Endowed with various perfections, it is divine, pleasing to the minds of all beings, certain in its meaning and profound in its depth—such is my supreme utterance. The mantra is easily pronounced and accomplishes all aims. It is the seed of all knowledge, the foremost and most beautiful of mantras. Though extremely subtle, its significance is immense—like the tiny seed of the banyan tree, holding within it the potential for greatness. This Veda transcends the three gunas, is all-knowing, and is the lord of all actions. The one-syllabled mantra 'Om' is Shiva, present everywhere. Within the subtle six-syllabled mantra, Shiva abides in the form of the five-syllabled mantra. He stands as both the signified and the signifier: by his own nature, Shiva is the signified—the object of knowledge—and the mantra is the signifier. This eternal relationship between the signified and the signifier has no beginning and is established in both the Veda and the Shaiva scriptures, wherever the six-syllabled mantra is found. The mantra always stands as the principal one; in this world, the five-syllabled mantra is held foremost. What need is there for many mantras or for scriptures filled with elaborate detail? For the one in whose heart this supreme mantra abides, whatever he studies, hears, or practices—all is accomplished. Whoever, being learned, recites it properly after studying it according to the prescribed rule—this alone is knowledge of Shiva, and this alone is the supreme state. This alone is the knowledge of Brahman. Therefore, the wise should always recite the five-syllabled mantra together with the praṇava; this is my very heart. Now I shall reveal to you the most secret, direct, and unsurpassed knowledge of liberation—knowledge even more secret than the secret itself—regarding this mantra: its seer, its meter, and its presiding deity. The seed, the power, the tone, the letter, and the place for each syllable are as follows: Vamadeva is the seer, and 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 its seeds, and they are of the nature of the five elements. Know the praṇava as the Self—pervading all and imperishable; and you, O goddess, revered by all the gods, are indeed the power. Your praṇava is one, mine is another; your praṇava, O goddess, is the source of the mantras—of this there can be no doubt. The vowels 'a', 'ā', and 'ma' are established in my praṇava; 'u', 'ma', and 'a' are indeed in their proper 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, and the supreme soul is its presiding deity. The first and fourth syllables are udātta, and so is the second. The fifth syllable is svarita, while the middle is called niṣadha. The letter 'na' is yellow and faces east as its place. Indra is the presiding deity, the meter is Gāyatrī, and Gautama is the sage. The letter 'ma' is black, and its place is to the south. The meter for the next syllable is Anuṣṭup, the sage is Atri, and Rudra is the deity. The letter 'śi' is smoky in color, and its place is to the west. For the syllable 'va', Viśvāmitra is the sage, Triṣṭup is the meter, Viṣṇu is the deity. 'Va' is golden in color, and its place is to the north. For the syllable 'ya', Brahmā is the presiding deity, Bṛhatī is the meter, Aṅgirā is the sage. 'Ya' is red in color, and its place is upward, the Virāṭ. The next meter is Ṛṣi, Bharadvāja is the sage, and Skanda is said to be the deity. Now, I will explain its ritual placement, or nyāsa, which bestows all accomplishments and is auspicious. It is said that the threefold nyāsa removes all sins, and is remembered as threefold according to creation, maintenance, and dissolution. For celibates, householders, and ascetics, it is to be performed in order: creation for celibates, maintenance always for householders, and dissolution for ascetics—success comes in no other way. There are three kinds: aṅganyāsa (placement on the limbs), karanyāsa (placement on the hands), and dehanyāsa (placement on the body). O beautiful-faced one, let me explain to you the threefold division beginning with creation. First, one should perform karanyāsa, then dehanyāsa. After that, aṅganyāsa is performed according to the proper order of the syllables, from the head down to the feet; this is called the nyāsa of creation. From the feet up to the head is the nyāsa of dissolution, dear one; placing the mantra on the heart, mouth, and throat is called the nyāsa of maintenance. For celibates, householders, and ascetics, O auspicious one, after touching the head, one should touch the whole body with the mantra. This is called dehanyāsa, which is the same for all; it begins from the right thumb and proceeds to the left thumb. What is placed in this way is creation; the reverse is dissolution. From the thumb to the little finger, nyāsa is performed on both hands. O Goddess, this placement of the limbs is especially fruitful for householders; after first performing the ritual placement on the hands, one should proceed to the bodily placement. Afterwards, one should perform the placement on the limbs; this is the general procedure. Enclose the syllable Om and place it upon all the limbs.