Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

सप्रसादाश्च ते मंत्राः स्वाधिकाराद्यपेक्षया सर्वाधिकारस्त्वेको ऽयं मंत्र एवेश्वराज्ञया

Those mantras, with or without grace, function according to their respective authorities; but this one mantra alone holds all authority, by the command of the Lord.

यथा निकृष्टानुत्कृष्टान्सर्वानप्यात्मनः शिवः क्षमते रक्षितुं तद्वन्मंत्रो ऽयमपि सर्वदा

Just as Shiva himself is able to protect all, whether inferior or superior, so too is this mantra always able to do the same.

प्रबलश्च तथा ह्येष मंत्रो मन्त्रान्तरादपि सर्वरक्षाक्षमो ऽप्येष नापरः कश्चिदिष्यते

Indeed, this mantra is more powerful than any other mantra; none other is considered equal to it in the ability to grant complete protection.

तस्मान्मन्त्रान्तरांस्त्यक्त्वा पञ्चाक्षरपरो भव तस्मिञ्जिह्वांतरगते न किंचिदिह दुर्लभम्

Therefore, abandoning other mantras, devote yourself to the five-syllable mantra; when it resides within the tongue, nothing here is unattainable.

अधोरास्त्रं च शैवानां रक्षाहेतुरनुत्तमम् तच्च तत्प्रभवं मत्वा तत्परो भव नान्यथा

The lower missile, too, is the supreme means of protection for Shaivas; knowing it arises from that, be devoted to it and nothing else.

भस्मेदन्तु मया लब्धं पितुरेव तवोत्तमम् विरजानलसंसिद्धं महाव्यापन्निवारणम्

And the best ash, obtained by me from your father, is pure, perfected by fire, and wards off great calamities.

मंत्रं च ते मया दत्तं गृहाण मदनुज्ञया अनेनैवाशु जप्तेन रक्षा तव भविष्यति

I have also given you the mantra—receive it with my permission; by reciting this alone, your protection will be assured.

एवं मात्रा समादिश्य शिवमस्त्वित्युदीर्य च विसृष्टस्तद्वचो मूर्ध्नि कुर्वन्नेव तदा मुनिः

Thus, instructing him in this way, and uttering 'May Shiva be,' she departed, placing those words upon his head at that moment.

तां प्रणम्यैवमुक्त्वा च तपः कर्तुं प्रचक्रमे तमाह च तदा माता शुभं कुर्वंतु ते सुराः

After bowing to her and hearing these words, he began his austerity; then his mother said, 'May the gods bring you good fortune.'

अनुज्ञातस्तया तत्र तपस्तेपे स दुश्चरम् हिमवत्पर्वतं प्राप्य वायुभक्षः समाहितः

Granted permission by her, he undertook severe austerity there; reaching Mount Himavat, he remained focused, subsisting on air.

अष्टेष्टकाभिः प्रसादं कृत्वा लिंगं च मृन्मयम् तत्रावाह्य महादेवं सांबं सगणमव्ययम्

He constructed an altar with eight bricks and made a clay linga; there he invoked the great god Mahadeva, together with Ambika and his attendants, the imperishable one.

भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेणैव पुत्रैः पुष्पैर्वनोद्भवैः समभ्यर्च्य चिरं कालं चचार परमं तपः

With devotion, using only the five-syllable mantra and forest flowers gathered by his sons, he worshipped for a long time and performed supreme austerity.

ततस्तपश्चरत्तं तं बालमेकाकिनं कृशम् उपमन्युं द्विजवरं शिवसंसक्तमानसम्

Then, as he was practicing austerity, that young, solitary, emaciated Upamanyu, the best of twice-born, whose mind was fixed on Shiva—

पुरा मरीचिना शप्ताः केचिन्मुनिपिशाचकाः संपीड्य राक्षसैर्भावैस्तपसोविघ्नमाचरन्

Some sage-demons, once cursed by Marichi, afflicted him with demonic powers, causing obstacles to his austerity.

स च तैः पीड्यमानो ऽपि तपः कुर्वन्कथञ्चन सदा नमः शिवायेति क्रोशति स्मार्तनादवत्

Even while being tormented by them, he somehow continued his austerity, always crying out 'Salutations to Shiva!' in a voice filled with remembrance.

तन्नादश्रवणादेव तपसो विघ्नकारिणः ते तं बालं समुत्सृज्य मुनयस्समुपाचरन्

Just by hearing that cry, those who were causing obstacles to his austerity abandoned the boy, and the sages approached him together.

तपसा तस्य विप्रस्य चोपमन्योर्महात्मनः चराचरं च मुनयः प्रदीपितमभूज्जगत्

Through the austerity of that noble Brahmin Upamanyu, the entire world, both moving and unmoving, became illuminated, along with the sages.

अथ सर्वे प्रदीप्तांगा वैकुण्ठं प्रययुर्द्रुतम् प्रणम्याहुश्च तत्सर्वं हरये देवसत्तमाः

Then, all of them, their bodies blazing, quickly went to Vaikuntha, and after bowing, reported everything to Hari, the best of gods.

श्रुत्वा तेषां तदा वाक्यं भगवान्पुरुषोत्तमः किमिदन्त्विति संचिन्त्य ज्ञात्वा तत्कारणं च सः

Hearing their words, the blessed Supreme Person, pondering, thought, 'What is this?' and, understanding the cause, he—

जगाम मन्दरं तूर्णं महेश्वरदिदृक्षया दृष्ट्वा देवं प्रणम्यैवं प्रोवाच सुकृतांजलिः

He swiftly went to Mount Mandara, desiring to see the great Lord; having seen the god, he bowed and, with hands joined in reverence, spoke thus.

भगवन्ब्राह्मणः कश्चिदुपमन्युरिति श्रुतः क्षीरार्थमदहत्सर्वं तपसा तन्निवारय

O Lord, there is a certain brahmin known as Upamanyu, who, seeking milk, has given up everything for austerity; restrain him from this by your power.

इति श्रुत्वा वचो विष्णोः प्राह देवो महेश्वरः शिशुं निवारयिष्यामि तत्त्वं गच्छ स्वमाश्रमम्

Hearing these words of Viṣṇu, the god Maheśvara replied: 'I will restrain the boy; you return to your own hermitage.'

तच्छ्रुत्वा शंभुवचनं स विष्णुर्देववल्लभः जगामाश्वास्य तान्सर्वान्स्वलोकममरादिकान्

Hearing Śambhu’s words, Viṣṇu, beloved of the gods, comforted all those immortals and returned to his own world.

एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवः पिनाकी परमेश्वरः शक्रस्य रूपमास्थाय गन्तुं चक्रे मतिं ततः

Meanwhile, the god Pinākī, Supreme Lord, assuming the form of Indra, resolved in his mind to go there.

अथ जगाम मुनेस्तु तपोवनं गजवरेण सितेन सदाशिवः सह सुरासुरसिद्धमहोरगैरमरराजतनुं स्वयमास्थितः

Then Sadāśiva, together with the gods, asuras, siddhas, and great serpents, himself taking on the form of the king of the immortals, went to the sage’s forest of austerity, riding on a splendid white elephant.

स वारणश्चारु तदा विभुं तं निवीज्य वालव्यजनेन दिव्यम् दधार शच्या सहितं सुरेंद्रं करेण वामेन शितातपत्रम्

That beautiful elephant then fanned the mighty lord with a divine yak-tail fan, while Indra, together with Śacī, held a shining white parasol in his left hand.

रराज भगवान्सोमः शक्ररूपी सदाशिवः तेनातपत्रेण यथा चन्द्रबिंबेन मन्दरः

The blessed Soma, Sadāśiva in the form of Indra, shone resplendent with that parasol, just as Mount Mandara shines with the orb of the moon.

आस्थायैवं हि शक्रस्य स्वरूपं परमेश्वरः जगामानुग्रहं कर्तुमुपमन्योस्तदाश्रमम्

Thus assuming the very form of Indra, the Supreme Lord went to Upamanyu’s hermitage to bestow his grace.

तं दृष्ट्वा परमेशानं शक्ररूपधरं शिवम् प्रणम्य शिरसा प्राह महामुनिवरः स्वयम्

Seeing the Supreme Lord, Śiva, in the form of Indra, the great sage himself bowed his head and spoke.