Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

अथाभिषेकं नैवेद्यं नमस्कारं च तर्पणम् यथाशक्ति सदाकुर्यात्क्रमाच्छिवपदप्रदम्

Then, one should always perform, as able and in due order, the ablution, food offering, obeisance, and libation, all leading to the state of Shiva.

अथवा मानुषे लिंगेप्यार्षे दैवे स्वयंभुवि स्थापिते ऽपूर्वके लिंगे सोपचारं यथा तथा

Or, whether the liṅga is man-made, Vedic, divine, self-manifested, established, or unprecedented, one should worship it with proper offerings as appropriate.

पूजोपकरणे दत्ते यत्किंचित्फलमश्नुते प्रदक्षिणानमस्कारैः क्रमाच्छिवपदप्रदम्

Whatever worship implements are given, one attains some fruit; by circumambulation and obeisance in order, one attains the state of Shiva.

लिंगं दर्शनमात्रं वा नियमेन शिवप्रदम् मृत्पिष्टगोशकृत्पुष्पैः करवीरेण वा फलैः

Even merely seeing the liṅga, according to rule, bestows Shiva; with clay, cow dung, flowers, oleander, or fruits.

गुडेन नवनीतेन भस्मनान्नैर्यथारुचि लिंगं यत्नेन कृत्वांते यजेत्तदनुसारतः

With jaggery, fresh butter, ashes, or cooked rice as one wishes, having made the liṅga with effort, one should worship it accordingly in the end.

अंगुष्ठादावपि तथा पूजामिच्छंति केचन लिंगकर्मणि सर्वत्र निषेधोस्ति न कर्हिचित्

Some desire to worship even on the thumb and so on; in the rites of the liṅga, there is never any prohibition anywhere.

सर्वत्र फलदाता हि प्रयासानुगुणं शिवः अथवा लिंगदानं वा लिंगमौल्यमथापि वा

For Shiva is the giver of results everywhere, according to the effort; or by gifting a liṅga, or by crowning a liṅga.

श्रद्धया शिवभक्ताय दत्तं शिवपदप्रदम् अथवा प्रणवं नित्यं जपेद्दशसहस्रकम्

Given with faith to a devotee of Shiva, it bestows the state of Shiva; or, one may always recite the praṇava ten thousand times.

संध्ययोश्च सहस्रं वा ज्ञेयं शिवपदप्रदम् जपकाले मकारांतं मनःशुद्धिकरं भजेत्

Or a thousand times at each twilight—this is known to bestow the state of Shiva; at the time of recitation, one should worship the praṇava ending with 'ma', which purifies the mind.

समाधौ मानसं प्रोक्तमुपांशु सार्वकालिकम् समानप्रणवं चेमं बिंदुनादयुतं विदुः

In meditation, mental recitation is prescribed; muttered recitation is for all times; this same praṇava, with bindu and nada, is to be known.

अथ पञ्चाक्षरं नित्यं जपेदयुतमादरात् संध्ययोश्च सहस्रं वा ज्ञेयं शिवपदप्रदम्

Then, one should always recite the five-syllable mantra ten thousand times with devotion; or a thousand times at each twilight—this is known to bestow the state of Shiva.

प्रणवेनादिसंयुक्तं ब्राह्मणानां विशिष्यते दीक्षायुक्तं गुरोर्ग्राह्यं मंत्रं ह्यथ फलाप्तये

The mantra joined at the beginning with praṇava is especially for the brahmins; with initiation, it should be received from the guru for the attainment of results.

कुंभस्नानं मंत्रदीक्षां मातृकान्यासमेव च ब्राह्मणः सत्यपूतात्मा गुरुर्ज्ञानी विशिष्यते

Bathing with a pot, mantra initiation, and installation of the letters—among brahmins, the guru who is truthful and pure in mind, and learned, is distinguished.

द्विजानां च नमःपूर्वमन्येषां च नमोन्तकम् स्त्रीणां च क्वचिदिच्छंति नमो तं च यथाविधि

For twice-borns, it is with 'namah' at the beginning; for others, 'namah' at the end; for women, sometimes they desire 'namah' as appropriate.

विप्रस्त्रीणां नमः पूर्वमिदमिच्छंति केचन पञ्चकोटिजपं कृत्वा सदा शिवसमो भवेत्

Some wish for 'namah' at the beginning for brahmin women; having performed five crore recitations, one always becomes equal to Shiva.

एकद्वित्रिचतुःकोट्याब्रह्मादीनां पदं व्रजेत् जपेदक्षरलक्षंवा अक्षराणां पृथक्पृथक्

By reciting a hundred thousand syllables, or separately reciting the syllables, one attains the state of Brahma and the others, numbering one, two, three, or four crores.

अथवाक्षरलक्षं वा ज्ञेयं शिवपदप्रदम् सहस्रं तु सहस्राणां सहस्रेण दिनेन हि

Alternatively, the recitation of a hundred thousand syllables is known to grant the state of Shiva; a thousand times a thousand, multiplied by a thousand, within a single day.

जपेन्मंत्रादिष्टसिद्धिर्नित्यं ब्राह्मणभोजनात् अष्टोत्तरसहस्रं वै गायत्रीं प्रातरेव हि

By reciting the mantra as prescribed, one attains success; and by daily feeding Brahmins, one should recite the Gayatri eight thousand and eight times in the morning.

ब्राह्मणस्तु जपेन्नित्यं क्रमाच्छिवपदप्रदान् वेदमंत्रांस्तु सूक्तानि जपेन्नियममास्थितः

A Brahmin should always recite, in order, the mantras that bestow the state of Shiva, and, observing discipline, should recite Vedic mantras and hymns.

एकं दशार्णं मंत्रं च शतोनं च तदूर्ध्वकम् अयुतं च सहस्रं च शतमेकं विना भवेत्

One, ten, a hundred, and above that, a thousand, ten thousand, and a hundred thousand—except for one hundred—are the numbers for mantra recitation.

वेदपारायणं चैव ज्ञेयं शिवपदप्रदम् अन्यान्बहुतरान्मंत्राञ्जपेदक्षरलक्षतः

The recitation of the Vedas is also known to grant the state of Shiva; one should recite many other mantras, each with a hundred thousand syllables.

एकाक्षरांस्तथा मंत्राञ्जपेदक्षरकोटितः ततः परं जपेच्चैव सहस्रं भक्तिपूर्वकम्

One should recite single-syllable mantras up to a crore of syllables, and then, with devotion, recite a thousand more.

एवं कुर्याद्यथाशक्ति क्रमाच्छिव पदं लभेत् नित्यं रुचिकरं त्वेकं मंत्रमामरणांतिकम्

Thus, one should act according to one's ability and gradually attain the state of Shiva; one mantra, pleasing and recited daily, should be continued until death.

जपेत्सहस्रमोमिति सर्वाभीष्टं शिवाज्ञया पुष्पारामादिकं वापि तथा संमार्जनादिकम्

One should recite 'Om' a thousand times by Shiva’s command to fulfill all desires, or else perform acts such as tending flower gardens or sweeping.

शिवाय शिवकार्याथे कृत्वा शिवपदं लभेत् शिवक्षेत्रे तथा वासं नित्यं कुर्याच्च भक्तितः

For Shiva or for Shiva’s purposes, having performed such acts, one attains the state of Shiva; one should always dwell in a Shiva-kshetra with devotion.

जडानामजडानां च सर्वेषां भुक्तिमुक्तिदम् तस्माद्वासं शिवक्षेत्रे कुर्यदामरणं बुधः

For the dull and the wise alike, it grants both enjoyment and liberation; therefore, the wise should reside in a Shiva-kshetra until death.

लिंगाद्धस्तशतं पुण्यं क्षेत्रे मानुषके विदुः सहस्रारत्निमात्रं तु पुण्यक्षेत्रे तथार्षके

From a linga, a hundredfold merit is known in a human-made kshetra; in a sacred or ancient kshetra, the merit is equal to a thousand gold coins.

दैवलिंगे तथा ज्ञेयं सहस्रारत्निमानतः धनुष्प्रमाणसाहस्रं पुण्यं क्षेत्रे स्वयं भुवि

In a divine linga, the merit is said to be a thousand gold coins; in a self-manifested kshetra, the merit is a thousand times the measure of a bow.

पुण्यक्षेत्रे स्थिता वापी कूपाद्यपुष्कराणि च शिवगंगेति विज्ञेयं शिवस्य वचनं यथा

In a sacred kshetra, tanks, wells, and ponds are to be known as Shiva-Ganga, according to Shiva’s own words.