यः शंभुपूजां विच्छिंद्यात्तेन च्छिन्नं हि मे शिरः । वरं शूलविनिक्षेपो वरं शाल्मलिकर्षणम्
Whoever interrupts the worship of Shambhu, by him my head is severed; better to be impaled on a spear, better to be dragged by a silk-cotton tree,
वरं प्राणपरित्यागो नैव पूजाव्यतिक्रमः । वरं वह्निप्रपतनं वरं चाधःशिरः कृतम्
Better to give up one's life than to neglect worship; better to leap into fire, better to be placed head-downward,
वरं स्वमलभुक्तिर्वा नेशपूजाव्यतिक्रमः । अपूजयित्वा चेशानं यो हि भुंक्ते नराधमः
Better to eat one's own filth than to neglect worship of the Lord; whoever eats without worshipping the Lord is the lowest of men.
पापानामन्नरूपाणां तस्य भोजनमुच्यते । अनुच्चार्य पदं शंभोर्भुङ्क्ते यदि च खादति
His food is said to be the form of sin among sinful men; if he eats or consumes without uttering the name of Shambhu,
शिवेति मंगलं नाम यस्य वाचि प्रवर्तते । भस्मीभवंति तस्याशु महापातककोटयः
If the auspicious name 'Shiva' is spoken on his tongue, countless great sins are quickly reduced to ashes.
शिवं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य यो नमस्यति मानवः । भूमेः प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा यत्तत्पुण्यमवाप्नुयात्
Whoever circumambulates Shiva and bows, after circumambulating the earth, attains whatever merit is gained thereby.
प्रदक्षिणत्रयं कृत्वा नमस्कारं च पंचधा । पुनः प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा नत्वा मुच्येत पातकैः
By performing three circumambulations and five salutations, then again circumambulating and bowing, one is freed from sins.
सर्ववाद्यानि यः कुर्यात्कारयेद्वा शिवालये । बलेन महता युक्तो वेदसेव्यत्र जायते
Whoever plays or causes to be played all instruments in the temple of Shiva, endowed with great strength, is born among those served by the Vedas.
श्रावयेद्यः पुराणानि देवदेवं त्रिलोचनम् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तो वसेच्छिवपुरे कृती
Whoever recites the Purāṇas to the god of gods, the three-eyed one, becomes freed from all sins and, accomplished, dwells in the city of Śiva.
तं नित्यमादरेणेशो वक्ति वाक्यं प्रियं सदा । एतत्संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तमीशपूजनमुत्तमम्
The Lord always speaks kind words to him with affection; thus, the supreme worship of the Lord has been briefly described.
अल्पायुश्च भवान्विप्र शिवपूजनमाचर । त्रिकालं वा द्विकालं वा एककालमथापि वा
Though your lifespan is short, O brāhmaṇa, perform the worship of Śiva—three times a day, or twice, or even once.
यामं यामार्धमथवा शिवपूजनमाचर । वानप्रस्थाश्रमो भूत्वा वानप्रस्थकृताश्रयः
Worship Śiva for a full watch, or half a watch, or as you are able; having entered the stage of forest-dweller, taking up the duties of a vānaprastha.
वानप्रस्थप्रसूनैश्च प्रातःपूजय शंकरम् । श्रीफलैः शतपत्रैश्च पद्मसौगंधिकैरपि
In the morning, worship Śaṅkara with flowers from the forest, with coconuts, with a hundred-petaled lotuses, and with fragrant lotuses.
नीपैर्जपाभिः पुन्नागैः करवीरैश्च पाटलैः । तुलस्याच रविदलैरपराजितया तथा
With nīpa flowers, hibiscus, punnāga, karavīra, pāṭala, with basil, lotus petals, and with aparājitā as well.
अपामार्गदलै रुद्र जटादमनकेन च । सर्वैरेभिः समफलैर्बिल्वपत्रैश्च धूर्तकैः
With apāmārga leaves, with rudrajaṭā, with damanaka, with all these, with fruits, with bilva leaves, and with dhūrtaka.
द्रोणैः शिरीषैः शक्तैश्च दूर्वया कोरकैरपि । नंद्यावर्तैरक्षतैश्च तिलमिश्रैश्च केवलैः
With droṇa, śirīṣa, śakti, with dūrvā grass, with buds, with naṃdyāvarta, with unbroken grains, and with sesame seeds alone.
अन्यैरपि यथाशक्ति प्रातः संपूजयेच्छिवम् । कर्णिकारैश्च सौवर्णर्दूवर्ययापि शिवार्चनम्
With other offerings as you are able, worship Śiva in the morning; with karṇikāra, with golden dūrvā, and with arka flowers as well.
मुकुलैर्नार्चयेद्देवं चंपकैर्जलजं विना । जलजानां च सर्वेषां पत्राणामक्षतस्य च
Do not worship the god with unopened champaka buds, except for water-lilies; and with the leaves of all water-lilies and with unbroken ones.
कुशपुष्पस्य रजतसुवर्णकृतयोरपि । अन्यत्कृत्वा यथा यत्तु तैलपक्वं भवेन्नृप
With kuśa flowers, with those made of silver or gold; and whatever else is prepared, O king, that is cooked in oil.
न तत्पर्युषितं प्रोक्तमपूपादि गमिष्यति । उक्षितं यत्फलायुक्तं तैलक्षाराम्लजीरकैः
That which is stale is not prescribed; cakes and the like will be rejected. That which is sprinkled, containing fruits, with oil, alkali, sour things, or cumin.
जले तत्प्रोक्षितं मूलफलशाकादिकं नृप । न च पर्युषितं प्रोक्तं गंगातोयं च सागरम्
That which is washed in water—roots, fruits, vegetables, and the like, O king—should not be stale, and water from the Gaṅgā and the ocean.
महानदीजलं सर्वं केदारजलमेव च । ह्रदरूपेण यत्तीर्थं कूपतीर्थेन राघव
All water from great rivers, and also water from fields; water from lakes in the form of tirthas, and from wells, O Rāghava.
तडागवापीसरसां कूपेनापां च यद्भवेत् । तत्तीर्थतोयं सर्वं च न च पर्युषितं भवेत्
Whatever water is from tanks, ponds, lakes, or wells, all that water from tirthas should not be stale.
न रात्रौ जलमाहार्यं दिवा संपादयेज्जलम् । ससैकतं तथा धार्यं न च पर्युषितं हि तत्
Water should not be drawn at night; draw water during the day. It should be kept with sand, and it should not be stale.
एवं विदित्वा पूजां त्वं शिवलिंगे समाचर । शंभुरुवाच- एवमुक्तोथ मुनिना इक्ष्वाकुर्ब्राह्मणप्रियः
Knowing thus, you should perform worship at the Śiva-liṅga. Śaṃbhu said: Thus addressed by the sage, Ikṣvāku, dear to the brāhmaṇas,
शिवपूजापरो भूत्वा दिनाष्टकमतिष्ठत । नवमेऽथ दिने प्राप्ते प्रातःकाले कृतार्चनः
Devoted to the worship of Śiva, observed the rite for eight days; and when the ninth day arrived, he performed the morning worship.
मरणावसरे प्राप्ते शिवपूजां विधाय सः । स्वान्प्राणानुपहाराय तत्याजैव महेशितुः
When the time of death arrived, he performed the worship of Shiva and then offered up his own life-breaths as an oblation to the Great Lord.
मृतं तमथ विज्ञाय यमदूताः समागताः । यमलोकप्रापका ये यतमास्थाय तस्थिरे
Then, realizing he had died, the messengers of Yama assembled—those whose task is to bring souls to Yama's realm—and stood ready, taking their positions.
शैवाश्चापि समायाता दूता वह्निमुखादयः । तेषामन्योन्यवादोभून्मामको मामकस्त्विति
But also the Shaiva messengers arrived—those led by Vahnimukha and others; a dispute arose among them, each claiming, 'He is mine, he is mine.'
अथ यामः पाशपाणिः शिवदूतमथार्दयत् । अथ वह्निमुखः क्रुद्धो यमदूतशतं ततः
Then Yama's messenger, holding a noose in his hand, attacked the Shaiva messenger; but Vahnimukha, enraged, struck down a hundred of Yama's messengers.