Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

ततःपञ्चाक्षरं जप्त्वा शतरुद्रियमेव च स्तुतीर्नानाविधाः कृत्वा पञ्चांगपठनं तथा

Then, having recited the five-syllable mantra and the Śatarudriya, and having made various praises, one should also recite the Pañcāṅga.

ततः प्रदक्षिणां कृत्वा नत्वा लिंगं विसर्जयेत् इतिप्रोक्तमशेषं च शिवपूजनमादरात्

Then, having circumambulated and bowed to the liṅga, one should take leave; thus, the entire worship of Śiva has been described with care.

रात्रावुदङ्मुखः कुर्याद्देवकार्यंसदैवहि शिवार्चनं सदाप्येवंशुचिः कुर्यादुदङ्मुखः

At night, always facing north, one should perform the divine rites; likewise, the worship of Śiva should always be done in purity, facing north.

न प्राचीमग्रतः शंभोर्नोदीचीं शक्तिसंहितान् नप्रतीचींयतः पृष्ठमतोग्राह्यं समाश्रयेत्

One should not face east before Śambhu, nor north where Śakti is present, nor west with one's back; one should not adopt such positions.

विनाभस्मत्रिपुंड्रेण विना रुद्राक्षमालया बिल्वपत्रं विना नैव पूजयेच्छंकरं बुधः

Without the three lines of ash, without a garland of rudrākṣa, and without bilva leaves, a wise person should never worship Śaṅkara.

भस्माप्राप्तौमुनिश्रेष्ठाः प्रवृत्ते शिवपूजने तस्मान्मृदापि कर्तव्यं ललाटे च त्रिपुण्ड्रकम्

If ash is not available, O best of sages, when beginning the worship of Śiva, then one should make the tripuṇḍra on the forehead even with clay.

अग्राह्यं शिवनैवेद्यमिति पूर्वं श्रुतं वचः ब्रूहि तन्निर्णयं बिल्वमाहात्म्यमपि सन्मुने

It was previously heard that Śiva's offering is not to be taken; tell me the decision about this, and also the greatness of the bilva, O noble sage.

सर्वंवदामिसंप्रीत्या धन्या यूयं शिवव्रताः

I will tell everything with joy; blessed are you who are devoted to Śiva's vows.

शिवभक्तः शुचिः शुद्धः सद्व्रतीदृढनिश्चयः भक्षयेच्छिवनैवेद्यंत्यजेदग्राह्यभावनाम्

A devotee of Śiva, who is pure, clean, steadfast in good vows, and firm in resolve, may eat Śiva's offering, abandoning the thought that it is forbidden.

दृष्ट्वापि शिवनैवेद्ये यांति पापानि दूरतः भक्तेतुशिवनैवेद्येपुण्यान्या यांतिकोटिशः

Even by seeing Śiva's offering, sins go far away; but for a devotee, by partaking of Śiva's offering, merits increase by the millions.

अलं यागसहस्रेणाप्यलं यागार्बुदैरपि भक्षिते शिवनैवेद्ये शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात्

A thousand sacrifices, or even hundreds of millions of sacrifices, are not equal to eating Śiva's offering; by doing so, one attains union with Śiva.

यद्गृहेशिवनैवेद्यप्रचारोपिप्रजायते तद्गृहंपावनंसर्वमन्यपावनकारणम्

Wherever the distribution of Śiva's offering takes place in a house, that house becomes entirely pure and the cause of purification for others.

आगतं शिवनैवेद्यं गृहीत्वा शिरसामुदा भक्षणीयंप्रयत्ने न शिवस्मरणपूर्वकम्

When Śiva's offering arrives, it should be received with the head bowed and eaten with care, always with remembrance of Śiva.

आगतं शिवनैवेद्यमन्यदा ग्राह्यमित्यपि विलंबेपापसंबंधोभवत्येव हि मानवे

If Śiva's offering arrives at another time, it is also acceptable; but if delayed, it becomes associated with sin for a person.

न यस्य शिवनैवेद्यग्रहणेच्छाप्रजायते सपापिष्ठोगरिष्ठःस्यान्नरकंयात्यपिध्रुवम्

One who does not develop the desire to receive Śiva's offering becomes the most sinful and certainly goes to hell.

हृदये चन्द्रकान्ते च स्वर्णरूप्यादिनिर्मिते शिवदीक्षावताभक्तेनेदंभक्ष्यमितीर्यते

If it is in the heart, or in a vessel made of crystal, gold, or silver, for one initiated into Śiva, it is said to be fit for eating.

शिवदीक्षान्वितोभक्तो महाप्रसादसंज्ञकम् सर्वेषामपि लिंगानां नैवेद्यं भक्षयेच्छुभम्

A devotee endowed with Śiva's initiation may eat the offering called mahāprasāda from all liṅgas, and it is auspicious.

अन्यदीक्षायुजांन्ःणांशिवभक्तिरतात्मनाम् शृणुध्वंनिर्णयंप्रीत्याशिवनैवेद्यभक्षणे

Now hear, with joy, the decision regarding the eating of Śiva's offering by those who are not initiated into Śiva but are devoted to him.

शालग्रामोद्भवे लिंगे रसलिंगेतथा द्विजाः पाषाणे राजतेस्वर्णेसुरसिद्धप्रतिष्ठिते

In a liṅga born of śālagrāma, in a liquid liṅga, O twice-born, in a stone, in silver, in gold, or in one established by gods or siddhas—

काश्मीरे स्फाटिकेरात्ने ज्योतिर्लिंगेषु सर्वशः चान्द्रायणसमं प्रोक्तं शंभोर्नैवेद्यभक्षणम्

In Kashmir, among the crystal gems and all the jyotirlingas, the consumption of Shiva's offering is declared to be equal to the merit of a Chandrayana vow.

ब्रह्महापि शुचिर्भूत्वा निर्माल्यंयस्तुधारयेत् भक्षयित्वाद्रुतंतस्यसर्वपापं प्रणश्यति

Even a slayer of Brahman, once purified, who wears the discarded flowers, after consuming the ghee, all his sins are destroyed.

चंडाधिकारोयत्रास्तितद्भाक्तव्यंनमानवैः चंडाधिकारोनोयत्रभोक्तव्यंतच्चभक्तितः

Where the Chandadhikara is present, only he may partake; where the Chandadhikara is absent, it may be eaten with devotion by others.

बाणलिंगेचलौहेचसिद्धेलिंगेस्वयंभुवि प्रतिमासुचसर्वासुनचंडोधिकृतोभवेत्

In the Bana-linga, iron linga, Siddha-linga, and self-manifested linga, and in all images, the Chandadhikara does not apply.

स्नापयित्वाविधानेनयोलिंगस्नापनोदकम् त्रिःपिबेत्त्रिविधंपापंतस्येहाशु विनश्यति

After bathing the linga according to the rite, one who drinks the water used for bathing it three times, all three kinds of sins are quickly destroyed here.

अग्राह्यंशिवनैवेद्यं पत्रंपुष्पंफलंजलम् शालग्रामशिलासंगात्सर्वं याति पवित्रिताम्

Shiva's offering, leaves, flowers, fruits, and water are not to be accepted; but by contact with the Shalagrama stone, all become purified.

लोंगोपरि च यद्द्रव्यंतदग्राह्यं मुनीश्वराः सुपवित्रं च तज्ज्ञेयं यल्लिंगस्पर्शबाह्यतः

Whatever substance is upon the linga is not to be accepted, O great sages; but know that whatever is outside the touch of the linga is supremely pure.

नैवेद्यनिर्णयःप्रोक्त इत्थंवोमुनिसत्तमाः शृणुध्वं बिल्वमाहात्म्यं सावधानतया ऽदरात्

Thus the determination regarding offerings has been stated, O best of sages; now listen attentively to the greatness of the bilva tree.

महादेवस्वरूपोयं बिल्वोदेवैरपिस्तुतिः यथाकथंचिदेतस्यमहिमाज्ञायतेकथम्

This bilva is the very form of Mahadeva, praised even by the gods; however one comes to know its greatness, that is sufficient.

पुण्यतीर्थानियावंतिलोकेषुप्रथितान्यपि तानिसर्वाणितीर्थानिबिल्वमूलेवसंतिहि

All the holy places renowned in the world, all those sacred sites are found at the root of the bilva tree.