Linga Purana

मन्त्रः स्थितः सदा मुख्यो लोके पञ्चाक्षरो मतः किं तस्य बहुभिर् मन्त्रैः शास्त्रैर्वा बहुविस्तृतैः

The mantra always stands as the principal one; in the world, the five-syllabled mantra is considered foremost. What need is there for many mantras or for scriptures with much elaboration?

यस्यैवं हृदि संस्थो ऽयं मन्त्रः स्यात्पारमेश्वरः तेनाधीतं श्रुतं तेन तेन सर्वमनुष्ठितम्

For one in whose heart this supreme mantra abides, whatever is studied, heard, or practiced by him—all is accomplished.

यो विद्वान्वै जपेत्सम्यग् अधीत्यैव विधानतः एतावद्धि शिवज्ञानम् एतावत्परमं पदम्

Whoever, being learned, recites it properly after studying according to the rule—this alone is knowledge of Shiva, this alone is the supreme state.

एतावद् ब्रह्मविद्या च तस्मान्नित्यं जपेद्बुधः पञ्चाक्षरैः सप्रणवो मन्त्रो ऽयं हृदयं मम

This alone is Brahma-knowledge; therefore, the wise should always recite the five-syllabled mantra with the praṇava—this is my heart.

गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं साक्षान् मोक्षज्ञानम् अनुत्तमम् अस्य मन्त्रस्य वक्ष्यामि ऋषिच्छन्दो ऽधिदैवतम्

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.

बीजं शक्तिं स्वरं वर्णं स्थानं चैवाक्षरं प्रति वामदेवो नाम ऋषिः पङ्क्तिश्छन्द उदाहृतः

The seed, the power, the tone, the letter, the place for each syllable—Vamadeva is the seer, Paṅkti is the meter, as declared.

देवता शिव एवाहं मन्त्रस्यास्य वरानने नकारादीनि बीजानि पञ्चभूतात्मकानि च

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.

आत्मानं प्रणवं विद्धि सर्वव्यापिनमव्ययम् शक्तिस्त्वमेव देवेशि सर्वदेवनमस्कृते

Know the praṇava as the Self, all-pervading and imperishable; and you, O goddess, revered by all the gods, are indeed the power.

त्वदीयं प्रणवं किंचिन् मदीयं प्रणवं तथा त्वदीयं देवि मन्त्राणां शक्तिभूतं न संशयः

Your praṇava is one thing, mine is another; your praṇava, O goddess, is the source of the mantras—of this there is no doubt.

अकारोकारमकारा मदीये प्रणवे स्थिताः उकारं च मकारं च अकारं च क्रमेण वै

The vowels 'a', 'ā', and 'ma' are established in my praṇava; 'u', 'ma', and 'a' are indeed in order.

त्वदीयं प्रणवं विद्धि त्रिमात्रं प्लुतमुत्तमम् ओङ्कारस्य स्वरोदात्त ऋषिर्ब्रह्म सितं वपुः

Know your praṇava as the supreme, triple-measured, and prolonged; the sage of oṃkāra is Brahma, and its form is white.

छन्दो देवी च गायत्री परमात्माधिदेवता उदात्तः प्रथमस्तद्वच् चतुर्थश् च द्वितीयकः

The meter is the goddess Gāyatrī, the supreme soul is the presiding deity; the first and fourth are udātta, and the second likewise.

पञ्चमः स्वरितश्चैव मध्यमो निषधः स्मृताः नकारः पीतवर्णश् च स्थानं पूर्वमुखं स्मृतम्

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.

इन्द्रो ऽधिदैवतं छन्दो गायत्री गौतम ऋषिः मकारः कृष्णवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं वै दक्षिणामुखम्

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.

छन्दो ऽनुष्टुप् ऋषिश्चात्री रुद्रो दैवतमुच्यते शिकारो धूम्रवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं वै पश्चिमं मुखम्

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.

विश्वामित्र ऋषिस्त्रिष्टुप् छन्दो विष्णुस्तु दैवतम् वाकारो हेमवर्णो ऽस्य स्थानं चैवोत्तरं मुखम्

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.

ब्रह्माधिदैवतं छन्दो बृहती चाङ्गिरा ऋषिः यकारो रक्तवर्णश् च स्थानम् ऊर्ध्वं मुखं विराट्

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.

छन्द ऋषिर्भरद्वाजः स्कन्दो दैवतमुच्यते न्यासमस्य प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वसिद्धिकरं शुभम्

The meter is Ṛṣi, Bharadvāja is the sage, Skanda is said to be the deity; I will declare its nyāsa, which bestows all accomplishments and is auspicious.

सर्वपापहरं चैव त्रिविधो न्यास उच्यते उत्पत्तिस्थितिसंहारभेदतस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः

It is said that the threefold nyāsa removes all sins; it is remembered as threefold according to creation, maintenance, and dissolution.

ब्रह्मचारिगृहस्थानां यतीनां क्रमशो भवेत् उत्पत्तिर्ब्रह्मचारिणां गृहस्थानां स्थितिः सदा

For celibates, householders, and ascetics, it is to be performed in order: creation for celibates, maintenance always for householders.

यतीनां संहृतिर् न्यासः सिद्धिर् भवति नान्यथा अङ्गन्यासः करन्यासो देहन्यास इति त्रिधा

For ascetics, dissolution is the nyāsa; success comes in no other way. There are three kinds: aṅganyāsa, karanyāsa, and dehanyāsa.

उत्पत्त्यादित्रिभेदेन वक्ष्यते ते वरानने न्यसेत्पूर्वं करन्यासं देहन्यासम् अनन्तरम्

O beautiful-faced one, I will explain to you the threefold division beginning with creation; first one should perform karanyāsa, then dehanyāsa.

अङ्गन्यासं ततः पश्चाद् अक्षराणां विधिक्रमात् मूर्धादिपादपर्यन्तम् उत्पत्तिन्यास उच्यते

Then, 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.

पादादिमूर्धपर्यन्तं संहारो भवति प्रिये हृदयास्यगलन्यासः स्थितिन्यास उदाहृतः

From the feet up to the head is dissolution, dear one; nyāsa on the heart, mouth, and throat is called the nyāsa of maintenance.

ब्रह्मचारिगृहस्थानां यतीनां चैव शोभने सशिरस्कं ततो देहं सर्वमन्त्रेण संस्पृशेत्

For celibates, householders, and ascetics, O auspicious one, after touching the head, one should touch the whole body with the mantra.

स देहन्यास इत्युक्तः सर्वेषां सम एव स दक्षिणाङ्गुष्ठमारभ्य वामाङ्गुष्ठान्त एव हि

This is called dehanyāsa, which is the same for all; beginning from the right thumb up to the left thumb.

न्यस्यते यत्तदुत्पत्तिर् विपरीतं तु संहृतिः अङ्गुष्ठादिकनिष्ठान्तं न्यस्यते हस्तयोर् द्वयोः

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.

अतीव भोगदो देवि स्थितिन्यासः कुटुंबिनाम् करन्यासं पुरा कृत्वा देहन्यासम् अनन्तरम्

O Goddess, this placement of the limbs is especially fruitful for householders; after first performing the ritual placement on the hands, one should then proceed to the bodily placement.

अङ्गन्यासं न्यसेत्पश्चाद् एष साधारणो विधिः ओङ्कारं संपुटीकृत्य सर्वाङ्गेषु च विन्यसेत्

Afterwards, one should perform the placement on the limbs; this is the general procedure. Enclose the syllable Oṃ and place it upon all the limbs.