Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

नमस्कारादिसंयुक्तं शिवायेत्यक्षरत्रयम् जिह्वाग्रे वर्तते यस्य सफलं तस्य जीवितम्

For one whose tongue always utters the three syllables 'to Shiva,' joined with acts like salutation, his life is fruitful.

अंत्यजो वाधमो वापि मूर्खो वा पंडितो ऽपि वा पञ्चाक्षरजपे निष्ठो मुच्यते पापपंजरात्

Whether outcaste, lowest-born, ignorant, or learned—whoever is steadfast in reciting the five-syllable mantra is freed from the cage of sin.

इत्युक्तं परमेशेन देव्या पृष्टेन शूलिना हिताय सर्वमर्त्यानां द्विजानां तु विशेषतः

Thus has it been spoken by the Lord, the Trident-bearer, in response to the Goddess's question, for the benefit of all mortals, especially the twice-born.

कलौ कलुषिते काले दुर्जये दुरतिक्रमे अपुण्यतमसाच्छन्ने लोके धर्मपराङ्मुखे

In the Kali age, when the time is corrupt, unconquerable, and hard to overcome, when the world is covered by the greatest impurity and has turned away from righteousness—

क्षीणे वर्णाश्रमाचारे संकटे समुपस्थिते सर्वाधिकारे संदिग्धे निश्चिते वापि पर्यये

When the practices of caste and stage of life have declined, when hardship has arisen, when all authority is in doubt or in transition—

तदोपदेशे विहते गुरुशिष्यक्रमे गते केनोपायेन मुच्यंते भक्तास्तव महेश्वर

When instruction has ceased and the tradition of teacher and disciple is lost, by what means are your devotees liberated, O Great Lord?

आश्रित्य परमां विद्यां हृद्यां पञ्चाक्षरीं मम भक्त्या च भावितात्मानो मुच्यंते कलिजा नराः

Those men of the Kali age who take refuge in my supreme, heartfelt five-syllable mantra, and who are devoted in mind, are liberated.

मनोवाक्कायजैर्दोषैर्वक्तुं स्मर्तुमगोचरैः दूषितानां कृतघ्नानां निंदकानां छलात्मनाम्

For those corrupted by faults of mind, speech, and body, for the ungrateful, the slanderers, and the deceitful, who are unable even to speak or remember—

लुब्धानां वक्रमनसामपि मत्प्रवणात्मनाम् मम पञ्चाक्षरी विद्या संसारभयतारिणी

Even for the greedy and those with crooked minds, if their hearts are inclined toward me, my five-syllable mantra carries them across the fear of worldly existence.

मयैवमसकृद्देवि प्रतिज्ञातं धरातले पतितो ऽपि विमुच्येत मद्भक्तो विद्ययानया

O Goddess, I have repeatedly declared this on earth: even if my devotee falls, by means of this knowledge, he is liberated.

कर्मायोग्यो भवेन्मर्त्यः पतितो यदि सर्वथा कर्मायोगेन यत्कर्म कृतं च नरकाय हि ततः कथं विमुच्येत पतितो विद्यया ऽनया

If a mortal is unfit for action and falls in every way, then by the ineligibility for action, whatever deed is done leads to hell; so how could one fallen be freed by this knowledge?

तथ्यमेतत्त्वया प्रोक्तं तथा हि शृणु सुन्दरि रहस्यमिति मत्वैतद्गोपितं यन्मया पुरा

What you have said is true; therefore, listen, O beautiful one, to this secret which I once concealed, considering it to be so.

समंत्रकं मां पतितः पूजयेद्यदि मोहितः नारकी स्यान्न सन्देहो मम पञ्चाक्षरं विना

If one who has fallen, deluded, worships me with the mantra, there is no doubt he becomes hell-bound if it is without my five-syllabled mantra.

अब्भक्षा वायुभक्षाश्च ये चान्ये व्रतकर्शिताः तेषामेतैर्व्रतैर्नास्ति मम लोकसमागमः

Those who subsist on water or air, and others who are emaciated by vows—by these vows alone, they do not attain my world.

भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेणैव यो हि मां सकृदर्चयेत् सो ऽपि गच्छेन्मम स्थानं मन्त्रस्यास्यैव गौरवात्

Whoever worships me even once with devotion using the five-syllabled mantra, he too attains my abode, due to the greatness of this mantra.

तस्मात्तपांसि यज्ञाश्च व्रतानि नियमास्तथा पञ्चाक्षरार्चनस्यैते कोट्यंशेनापि नो समः

Therefore, austerities, sacrifices, vows, and observances—even in a fraction of a crore—are not equal to the worship of the five-syllabled mantra.

बद्धो वाप्यथ मुक्तो वा पाशात्पञ्चाक्षरेण यः पूजयेन्मां स मुच्येत नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Whether bound or liberated from bonds, whoever worships me with the five-syllabled mantra is freed—there is no need for further consideration.

अरुद्रो वा सरुद्रो वा सकृत्पञ्चाक्षरेण यः पूजयेत्पतितो वापि मूढो वा मुच्यते नरः

Whether without anger or with anger, whoever worships with the five-syllabled mantra, even if fallen or deluded, that person is liberated.

षडक्षरेण वा देवि तथा पञ्चाक्षरेण वा स ब्रह्मांगेन मां भक्त्या पूजयेद्यदि मुच्यते

O Goddess, whether with the six-syllabled or the five-syllabled mantra, if one worships me with devotion in the proper manner, he is liberated.

पतितो ऽपतितो वापि मन्त्रेणानेन पूजयेत् मम भक्तो जितक्रोधो सलब्धो ऽलब्ध एव वा

Whether fallen or not, my devotee worships me with this mantra, whether he has conquered anger or not, whether he has attained or not.

अलब्धालब्ध एवेह कोटिकोटिगुणाधिकः तस्माल्लब्ध्वैव मां देवि मन्त्रेणानेन पूजयेत्

Whether attained or not attained here, he is many millions of times greater; therefore, O Goddess, having attained me, one should worship me with this mantra.

लब्ध्वा संपूजयेद्यस्तु मैत्र्यादिगुणसंयुतः ब्रह्मचर्यरतो भक्त्या मत्सादृश्यमवाप्नुयात्

But whoever, having attained, worships me endowed with qualities like friendliness, devoted to celibacy and with devotion, attains likeness to me.

किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन भक्तास्सर्वेधिकारिणः मम पञ्चाक्षरे मंत्रे तस्माच्छ्रेष्ठतरो हि सः

Why say much more? All my devotees are capable of everything; among them, the one devoted to the five-syllabled mantra is the most excellent.

पञ्चाक्षरप्रभावेण लोकवेदमहर्षयः तिष्ठंति शाश्वता धर्मा देवास्सर्वमिदं जगत्

By the power of the five-syllabled mantra, the worlds, the Vedas, the great sages, the eternal laws, the gods, and all this universe are sustained.

प्रलये समनुप्राप्ते नष्टे स्थावरजंगमे सर्वं प्रकृतिमापन्नं तत्र संलयमेष्यति

When dissolution arrives and all that is moving and unmoving is destroyed, everything returns to its primal nature and merges there.

एको ऽहं संस्थितो देवि न द्वितीयो ऽस्ति कुत्रचित् तदा वेदाश्च शास्त्राणि सर्वे पञ्चाक्षरे स्थिताः

Then I alone remain, O Goddess; there is no second anywhere. At that time, the Vedas and all the scriptures are established in the five-syllabled mantra.

ते नाशं नैव संप्राप्ता मच्छक्त्या ह्यनुपालिताः ततस्सृष्टिरभून्मत्तः प्रकृत्यात्मप्रभेदतः

They do not reach destruction, for they are protected by my power; then creation arises from me, through the distinction of nature and self.

गुणमूर्त्यात्मनां चैव ततोवांतरसंहृतिः तदा नारायणश्शेते देवो मायामयीं तनुम्

Then, when the dissolution of the inner qualities takes place, the god Nārāyaṇa, embodying the qualities, lies down, assuming a body made of Māyā.

आस्थाय भोगिपर्यंकशयने तोयमध्यगः तन्नाभिपंकजाज्जातः पञ्चवक्त्रः पितामहः

Reclining upon the serpent-bed in the midst of the waters, from the lotus arising from his navel was born the five-faced Grandfather.