Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

अस्याः परमविद्यायास्स्वरूपमधुनोच्यते आदौ नमः प्रयोक्तव्यं शिवाय तु ततः परम्

Now the true nature of this supreme knowledge will be described: first, one must utter 'salutation'—then, 'to Śiva,' and then the rest.

सैषा पञ्चाक्षरी विद्या सर्वश्रुतिशिरोगता सर्वजातस्य सर्वस्य बीजभूता सनातनी

This is the five-syllabled knowledge, found at the head of all the Vedas, the eternal seed of all beings and of everything.

प्रथमं मन्मुखोद्गीर्णा सा ममैवास्ति वाचिका तप्तचामीकरप्रख्या पीनोन्नतपयोधरा

First uttered from my own mouth, it is my very speech, resplendent like molten gold, with full and elevated breasts.

चतुर्भुजा त्रिनयना बालेंदुकृतशेखरा पद्मोत्पलकरा सौम्या वरदाभयपाणिका

She is four-armed, three-eyed, adorned with a crescent moon as her crest, holding a lotus and a blue lotus, gentle, with hands granting boons and dispelling fear.

सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना सर्वाभरणभूषिता सितपद्मासनासीना नीलकुंचितमूर्धजा

Endowed with all marks of beauty, adorned with every ornament, seated on a white lotus, with dark, curly hair.

अस्याः पञ्चविधा वर्णाः प्रस्फुरद्रश्मिमंडलाः पीतः कृष्णस्तथा धूम्रः स्वर्णाभो रक्त एव च

She has five kinds of colors, shining with radiant circles: yellow, black, smoky, golden, and red.

पृथक्प्रयोज्या यद्येते बिंदुनादविभूषिताः अर्धचन्द्रनिभो बिंदुर्नादो दीपशिखाकृतिः

These are to be applied separately, unless adorned with bindu and nāda; the bindu resembles a half-moon, and the nāda is shaped like a lamp’s flame.

बीजं द्वितीयं बीजेषु मंत्रस्यास्य वरानने दीर्घपूर्वं तुरीयस्य पञ्चमं शक्तिमादिशेत्

O beautiful-faced one, among the syllables of this mantra, the second is the seed; the fourth, which is long at the beginning, is the third; the fifth is declared to be the power.

वामदेवो नाम ऋषिः पंक्तिश्छन्द उदाहृतम् देवता शिव एवाहं मन्त्रस्यास्य वरानने

Vāmadeva is the seer, Paṅkti is the meter, and I myself, Śiva, am the deity of this mantra, O beautiful-faced one.

गौतमो ऽत्रिर्वरारोहे विश्वामित्रस्तथांगिराः भरद्वाजश्च वर्णानां क्रमशश्चर्षयः स्मृताः

Gautama, Atri, O beautiful one, Viśvāmitra, as well as Aṅgiras and Bharadvāja—these sages are remembered in order for the syllables.

गायत्र्यनुष्टुप् त्रिष्टुप् च छंदांसि बृहती विराट् इन्द्रो रुद्रो हरिर्ब्रह्मा स्कंदस्तेषां च देवताः

Gāyatrī, Anuṣṭup, Triṣṭup, Bṛhatī, and Virāṭ are the meters; Indra, Rudra, Hari, Brahmā, and Skanda are their respective deities.

मम पञ्चमुखान्याहुः स्थाने तेषां वरानने पूर्वादेश्चोर्ध्वपर्यंतं नकारादि यथाक्रमम्

They say that I have five faces; in their proper places, O beautiful-faced one, from the east upward, the syllables beginning with 'na' are arranged in order.

अदात्तः प्रथमो वर्णश्चतुर्थश्च द्वितीयकः पञ्चमः स्वरितश्चैव तृतीयो निहतः स्मृतः

The first syllable is unaspirated, the fourth is the second, the fifth is svarita (intoned), and the third is said to be nihata (suppressed).

मूलविद्या शिवं शैवं सूत्रं पञ्चाक्षरं तथा नामान्यस्य विजानीयाच्छैवं मे हृदयं महत्

The root-vidyā, Śiva, the Śaiva sūtra, the five-syllable mantra, and his names—know these as my great Śaiva heart.

नकारश्शिर उच्येत मकारस्तु शिखोच्यते शिकारः कवचं तद्वद्वकारो नेत्रमुच्यते

The syllable 'na' is called the head, 'ma' is said to be the crest, 'śi' is the armor, likewise 'va' is called the eye.

यकारो ऽस्त्रं नमस्स्वाहा वषट् हुंवौषडित्यपि फडित्यपि च वर्णानामन्ते ऽङ्गत्वं यदा तदा

'Ya' is the missile; 'namaḥ', 'svāhā', 'vaṣaṭ', 'huṃ', 'vauṣaṭ', and 'phaṭ'—when these are placed at the end of the syllables, they become its limbs.

तत्रापि मूलमंत्रो ऽयं किंचिद्भेदसमन्वयात् तत्रापि पञ्चमो वर्णो द्वादशस्वरभूषितः

Even there, this root-mantra, with some variations, has the fifth syllable adorned with twelve vowels.

तास्मादनेन मंत्रेण मनोवाक्कायभेदतः आवयोरर्चनं कुर्याज्जपहोमादिकं तथा

Therefore, with this mantra, one should perform worship of us by mind, speech, and body, as well as recitation, oblation, and the like.

यथाप्रज्ञं यथाकालं यथाशास्त्रं यथामति यथाशक्ति यथासंपद्यथायोगं यथारति

According to one’s understanding, time, scripture, capacity, ability, resources, fitness, and inclination.

यदा कदापि वा भक्त्या यत्र कुत्रापि वा कृता येन केनापि वा देवि पूजा मुक्तिं नयिष्यते

Whenever, wherever, by whomever, and however worship is performed with devotion, O goddess, it will lead to liberation.

मय्यासक्तेन मनसा यत्कृतं मम सुन्दरि मत्प्रियं च शिवं चैव क्रमेणाप्यक्रमेण वा

Whatever is done with a mind attached to me, O beautiful one, whether in order or not, if it is dear to me and auspicious, it is accepted.

तथापि मम भक्ता ये नात्यंतविवशाः पुनः तेषां सर्वेषु शास्त्रेषु मयेव नियमः कृतः

Even so, for my devotees who are not completely helpless, I have established rules for them in all scriptures.

तत्रादौ संप्रवक्ष्यामि मन्त्रसंग्रहणं शुभम् यं विना निष्फलं जाप्यं येन वा सफलं भवेत्

Now, I shall first explain the auspicious collection of mantras, without which recitation is fruitless, and by which it becomes fruitful.

आज्ञाहीनं क्रियाहीनं श्रद्धाहीनं वरानने आज्ञार्थं दक्षिणाहीनं सदा जप्तं च निष्फलम्

O beautiful one, a recitation that lacks command, lacks proper action, lacks faith, is done without purpose, lacks offering, or is always performed—such a recitation is fruitless.

आज्ञासिद्धं क्रियासिद्धं श्रद्धासिद्धं ममात्मकम् एवं चेद्दक्षिणायुक्तं मंत्रसिद्धिर्महत्फलम्

But when it is established by command, performed with proper action, endowed with faith, and accompanied by offering, then the mantra attains success and yields great fruit.

उपगम्य गुरुं विप्रमाचार्यं तत्त्ववेदिनम् जापितं सद्गुणोपेतं ध्यानयोगपरायणम्

Approaching a guru, a learned Brahmin, a teacher who knows the truth, who is endowed with good qualities and devoted to meditation and yoga, one should recite.

तोषयेत्तं प्रयत्नेन भावशुद्धिसमन्वितः वाचा च मनसा चैव कायेन द्रविणेन च

With pure intent, one should strive to please him by every effort—by speech, by mind, by body, and by wealth.

आचार्यं पूजयेद्विप्रः सर्वदातिप्रयत्नतः हस्त्यश्वरथरत्नानि क्षेत्राणि च गृहाणि च

A Brahmin should always worship the teacher with utmost effort, offering elephants, horses, chariots, jewels, lands, and houses.

भूषणानि च वासांसि धान्यानि च धनानि च एतानि गुरवे दद्याद्भक्त्या च विभवे सति

He should also give ornaments, garments, grains, and wealth to the guru with devotion, if he has the means.