Linga Purana

तयोरग्रे हुताशं च स्रुवहस्तं पितामहम् नारायणं च दातारं सर्वाभरणभूषितम्

and before them installs Agni holding the ladle, Pitamaha, and Narayana, the bestower, adorned with all ornaments,

लोकपालैस् तथा सिद्धैः संवृतं स्थाप्य यत्नतः रुद्रालये व्रतं तस्मै दापयेद्भक्तिपूर्वकम्

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.

सा भवान्यास्तनुं गत्वा भवेन सह मोदते एकभक्तव्रतं पुण्यं प्रतिमासमनुक्रमात्

She, having attained the form of Bhavani, rejoices together with Bhava; the meritorious vow of single-meal fasting is to be observed every month in succession.

मार्गशीर्षकमासादिकार्तिकान्तं प्रवर्तितम् नरनार्यादिजन्तूनां हिताय मुनिसत्तमाः

Beginning with the month of Margashirsha and continuing until Kartika, this practice is established for the welfare of men, women, and other beings, O best of sages.

नरः कृत्वा व्रतं चैव शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात् नारी देव्या न संदेहः शिवेन परिभाषितम्

A man who observes this vow attains union with Shiva; a woman attains union with Devi—there is no doubt, as spoken by Shiva.

सर्वव्रतेषु सम्पूज्य देवदेवमुमापतिम् जपेत्पञ्चाक्षरीं विद्यां विधिनैव द्विजोत्तमाः

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 twice-born.

जपादेव न संदेहो व्रतानां वै विशेषतः समाप्तिर्नान्यथा तस्माज् जपेत्पञ्चाक्षरीं शुभाम्

By recitation alone, there is no doubt, especially regarding vows, that their completion is achieved in no other way; therefore, one should recite the auspicious five-syllabled mantra.

कथं पञ्चाक्षरी विद्या प्रभावो वा कथं वद क्रमोपायं महाभाग श्रोतुं कौतूहलं हि नः

How does the five-syllabled mantra work, and what is its power? Please tell, step by step, O highly fortunate one; we are eager to hear.

पुरा देवेन रुद्रेण देवदेवेन शंभुना पार्वत्याः कथितं पुण्यं प्रवदामि समासतः

Formerly, this meritorious teaching was spoken by the god Rudra, the Lord of gods, Shambhu, to Parvati; I will briefly relate it.

भगवन्देवदेवेश सर्वलोकमहेश्वर पञ्चाक्षरस्य माहात्म्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः

O Lord, God of gods, Great Lord of all worlds, I wish to hear the true greatness of the five-syllabled mantra.

पञ्चाक्षरस्य माहात्म्यं वर्षकोटिशतैरपि न शक्यं कथितुं देवि तस्मात् संक्षेपतः शृणु

The greatness of the five-syllabled mantra cannot be fully described even in hundreds of millions of years, O Devi; therefore, listen to it in brief.

प्रलये समनुप्राप्ते नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे नष्टे देवासुरे चैव नष्टे चोरगराक्षसे

When dissolution arrives, when all that is stationary and moving is destroyed, when gods and demons are lost, and when serpents and rakshasas are gone,

सर्वं प्रकृतिमापन्नं त्वया प्रलयमेष्यति एको ऽहं संस्थितो देवि न द्वितीयो ऽस्ति कुत्रचित्

All will merge into primal nature and, through you, will enter dissolution; I alone remain, O Devi—there is no second anywhere.

तस्मिन्वेदाश् च शास्त्राणि मन्त्रे पञ्चाक्षरे स्थिताः ते नाशं नैव सम्प्राप्ता मच्छक्त्या ह्यनुपालिताः

Within it, the Vedas and the scriptures, and the five-syllabled mantra are established; by my power, they have never come to destruction nor have they been neglected.

अहमेको द्विधाप्यासं प्रकृत्यात्मप्रभेदतः स तु नारायणः शेते देवो मायामयीं तनुम्

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.

आस्थाय योगपर्यङ्कशयने तोयमध्यगः तन्नाभिपङ्कजाज्जातः पञ्चवक्त्रः पितामहः

Reclining in the posture of yogic meditation, in the midst of the waters, from his navel's lotus was born the five-faced ancestor, Brahmā.

सिसृक्षमाणो लोकान्वै त्रीनशक्तो ऽसहायवान् दश ब्रह्मा ससर्जादौ मानसानमितौजसः

Desiring to create the worlds, but unable, being alone and unaided, Brahmā at first created ten mind-born sons, endowed with immense energy.

तेषां सृष्टिप्रसिद्ध्यर्थं मां प्रोवाच पितामहः मत्पुत्राणां महादेव शक्तिं देहि महेश्वर

For the success of their creation, the ancestor addressed me: 'O Mahādeva, O great Lord, grant power to my sons.'

इति तेन समादिष्टः पञ्चवक्त्रधरो ह्यहम् पञ्चाक्षरान्पञ्चमुखैः प्रोक्तवान् पद्मयोनये

Thus commanded by him, I, bearing five faces, spoke the five-syllabled mantra with my five mouths to the lotus-born one.

तान्पञ्चवदनैर्गृह्णन् ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः वाच्यवाचकभावेन ज्ञातवान्परमेश्वरम्

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.

वाच्यः पञ्चाक्षरैर्देवि शिवस्त्रैलोक्यपूजितः वाचकः परमो मन्त्रस् तस्य पञ्चाक्षरः स्थितः

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.

ज्ञात्वा प्रयोगं विधिना च सिद्धिं लब्ध्वा तथा पञ्चमुखो महात्मा प्रोवाच पुत्रेषु जगद्धिताय मन्त्रं महार्थं किल पञ्चवर्णम्

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.

ते लब्ध्वा मन्त्ररत्नं तु साक्षाल्लोकपितामहात् तमाराधयितुं देवं परात्परतरं शिवम्

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.

ततस्तुतोष भगवान् त्रिमूर्तीनां परः शिवः दत्तवानखिलं ज्ञानम् अणिमादिगुणाष्टकम्

Then the blessed Lord, Śiva, supreme among the Trimūrti, was pleased and granted all knowledge and the eight powers such as aṇimā.

ते ऽपि लब्ध्वा वरान्विप्रास् तदाराधनकाङ्क्षिणः मेरोस्तु शिखरे रम्ये मुञ्जवान्नाम पर्वतः

Those wise ones, having obtained boons and desiring further worship, on the beautiful summit of Mount Meru, on the mountain named Muñjavān,

मत्प्रियः सततं श्रीमान् मद्भूतैः परिरक्षितः तस्याभ्याशे तपस्तीव्रं लोकसृष्टिसमुत्सुकाः

Ever dear to me, always glorious, protected by my attendants, near that place, eager to create the worlds, they undertook intense austerity.

दिव्यवर्षसहस्रं तु वायुभक्षाः समाचरन् तिष्ठन्तो ऽनुग्रहार्थाय देवि ते ऋषयः पुरा

For a thousand divine years, subsisting on air, those ancient sages performed austerity, standing, for the sake of receiving grace, O goddess.

तेषां भक्तिमहं दृष्ट्वा सद्यः प्रत्यक्षतामियाम् पञ्चाक्षरम् ऋषिच्छन्दो दैवतं शक्तिबीजवत्

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.

न्यासं षडङ्गं दिग्बन्धं विनियोगमशेषतः प्रोक्तवानहमार्याणां लोकानां हितकाम्यया

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.