Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

करपूजानिवृत्तानां स्वभोज्यं तु निवेदयेत् निवृत्तानां परंसूक्ष्मं लिंगमेव विशिष्यते

Those who have renounced perform worship with their hands and offer their own food; for the renounced, only the most subtle linga is considered appropriate.

विभूत्यभ्यर्चनं कुर्याद्विभूतिं च निवेदयेत् पूजां कृत्वा तथा लिंगंशिरसाधारयेत्सदा

One should worship with sacred ash and also offer the ash; after worship, one should always place the linga upon the head.

सूतसूतमहाभागव्यासशिष्यनमोस्तुते तदेवव्यासतोब्रूहिभस्ममाहात्म्यमुत्तमम्

O Suta, highly fortunate disciple of Vyasa, I bow to you; therefore, please tell from Vyasa himself the supreme greatness of sacred ash.

तथा रुद्राक्षमाहात्म्यं नाम माहात्म्यमुत्तमम् त्रितयं ब्रूहिसुप्रीत्याममानंदयचेतसम्

Likewise, the supreme greatness called the glory of Rudraksha—these three, speak them out of affection to those whose minds are filled with joy.

साधुपृष्टंभवद्भिश्चलोकानांहितकारकम् भवंतोवैमहाधन्याः पवित्राः कुलभूषणाः

You have been asked by the virtuous; this brings benefit to the worlds. Truly, you are greatly blessed, pure, and the ornaments of your lineage.

येषांचैवशिवःसाक्षाद्दैवतंपरमंशुभम् सदाशिवकथालोकेवल्लभाभवतां सदा

For those whose supreme and auspicious deity is Shiva himself, the stories of Sadashiva are always dear to you.

तेधन्याश्चकृतार्थाश्चसफलंदेहधारणम् उद्धृतञ्चकुलंतेषांयेशिवंसमुपासते

They are blessed and fulfilled; their embodiment has borne fruit. Their lineage is uplifted—those who worship Shiva in this way.

मुखेयस्यशिवनामसदाशिवशिवेतिच पापानिनस्पृशंत्येवखदिरांगारंकयथा

On whose lips are always the names Shiva, Sadashiva, and Shiva—sins do not touch them, just as charcoal does not stain the wood of the khadira tree.

श्रीशिवायनमस्तुभ्यंमुखंव्याहरतेयदा तन्मुखंपावनंतीर्थंसर्वपापविनाशनम्

Obeisance to you, O Shiva-ayana; when your mouth utters this, that mouth becomes a holy place, destroying all sins.

तन्मुखञ्चतथायोवैपश्यतिप्रीतिमान्नरः तीर्थजन्यंफलंतस्यभवतीतिसुनिश्चितम्

And whoever, with joy, looks upon that face, certainly attains the fruit produced by bathing at a sacred ford.

यत्रत्रयंसदातिष्ठेदेतच्छुभतरंद्विजा तस्यदर्शनमात्रेणवेणीस्नानफलंलभेत्

Wherever these three always abide, that place is most auspicious, O twice-born; merely seeing it grants the merit of bathing at the confluence of three rivers.

शिवनामविभूतिश्चतथारुद्राक्ष एव च एतत्त्रयंमहापुण्यंत्रिवेणीसदृशंस्मृतम्

The name of Shiva, sacred ash, and likewise Rudraksha—these three are considered supremely meritorious, equal to the confluence of the three rivers.

एतत्त्रयंशरीरेचयस्यतिष्ठतिनित्यशः तस्यैवदर्शनंलोकेदुर्लभंपापहारकम्

If these three always remain on a person's body, seeing him in the world is rare and removes sin.

तद्दर्शनंयथावेणीनोभयोरंतरंमनाक् एवंयोनविजानातिसपापिष्ठोनसंशयः

Just as there is no difference between seeing that and the confluence of the rivers, so one who does not recognize this is certainly most sinful.

विभूतिर्यस्यनोभालेनांगेरुद्राक्षधारणम् नास्ये शिवमयीवाणीतंत्यजेदधमंयथा

If someone does not bear sacred ash or Rudraksha on his body, nor speaks words imbued with Shiva, he should be abandoned as one who is base.

शैवंनामयथागंगाविभूतिर्यमुनामता रुद्राक्षं विधिजाप्रोक्तासर्वपापाविनाशिनी

Just as the Ganga is known as Shaiva and the Yamuna is esteemed, the Rudraksha is declared by the Vidhijās as the destroyer of all sins.

शरीरेचत्रयंयस्यतत्फलंचैकतःस्थितम् एकतोवेणिकायाश्चस्नानजंतुफलंबुधैः

Whoever has these three upon their body receives the unified fruit; and the benefit from bathing in the single braided stream is known by the wise.

तदेवंतुलितंपूर्वंब्रह्मणाहितकारिणा समानं चैवतज्जातंतस्माद्धार्यंसदाबुधैः

Thus, this equivalence was established earlier by Brahma, the benefactor; what arises from it is equal, therefore it should always be upheld by the wise.

तद्दिनंहिसमारभ्यब्रह्मविष्ण्वादिभिःसरैः धार्यते त्रितयंतच्चदर्शनात्पापहारकम्

From that day onward, the triad is worn by Brahma, Vishnu, and others; its sight removes sin.

ईदृशंहिफलंप्रोक्तंनामादित्रितयोद्भवम् तन्माहात्म्यंविशेषेणवक्तुमर्हसिसुव्रत

Such is the fruit declared, arising from the triad of names; you, O virtuous one, ought to speak its greatness in detail.

ऋषयोहिमहाप्राज्ञाः सच्छैवाज्ञानिनांमराः तन्माहात्म्यंहिसद्भक्त्याशृणुतादरतोद्विजाः

The sages, highly wise and knowledgeable in Shaiva teachings, and the gods, listen with true devotion to its greatness, O twice-born, with reverence.

सुगूढमपि शास्त्रेषुपुराणेश्रुतिष्वपि भवत्स्नेहान्मया विप्राःप्रकाशः क्रियते ऽधुना

Though it is deeply hidden in scriptures, Purāṇas, and Vedas, O Brahmins, out of affection for you, I now reveal it openly.

कस्तत्त्रितयमाहात्म्यंसंजानातिद्विजोत्तमाः महेश्वरंविनासर्वंब्रह्माण्डेसदसत्परम्

Who among the best of the twice-born understands the greatness of this triad? Without Maheshvara, everything in the universe is unreal and impermanent.

वच्म्यहंनाममाहात्म्यंयथाभक्तिसमासतः शृणुतप्रीतितोविप्राः सर्वपापहरंपरम्

I shall speak the greatness of the name, concisely and according to devotion; listen with delight, O Brahmins, for it is the supreme remover of all sins.

शिवेतिनामदावाग्नेर्महापातकपर्वताः भस्मीभवंत्यनायासात्सत्यंसत्यंनसंशयः

At the utterance of the name 'Shiva', even mountains of great sins are reduced to ashes in the fire; truly, truly, there is no doubt.

पापमूलानि दुःखानिविविधान्यपिशौनक शिवनामैकनश्यानिनान्यनश्यानिसर्वथा

The roots of sin and various sufferings, O Shaunaka, are destroyed by the name of Shiva alone; nothing else destroys them in any way.

सवैदिकः सपुण्यात्मासधन्यस्सबुधोमतः शिवनामजपासक्तोयोनित्यंभुविमानव

He who is devoted to reciting the name of Shiva always on earth is considered Vedic, virtuous, blessed, and wise.

भवंतिविविधाधर्मास्तेषांसद्यःफलोन्मुखाः येषांभवतिविश्वासःशिवनामजपेमुने

Various righteous deeds become immediately fruitful for those who have faith in the recitation of Shiva's name, O sage.

पातकानिविनश्यंतियावंतिशिवनामतः भुवितावंतिपापानिक्रियंतेननरैर्मुने

Sins are destroyed and diminish through the name of Shiva; on earth, sins decrease by the actions of men, O sage.