Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

अन्येषां च प्रसक्तानां मन्त्रं न विमुखो जपेत् उष्णीषी कुंचुकी नम्रो मुक्तकेशो गलावृतः

One should not recite mantras with aversion in the presence of others; with a turban, upper garment, bowed, with loose hair, or with the neck covered.

अपवित्रकरो ऽशुद्धो विलपन्न जपेत्क्वचित् क्रोधं मदं क्षुतं त्रीणि निष्ठीवनविजृंभणे

One should never recite with impure hands, in an unclean state, or while lamenting; nor during anger, intoxication, sneezing, spitting, or yawning.

दर्शनं च श्वनीचानां वर्जयेज्जपकर्मणि आचमेत्संभवे तेषां स्मरेद्वा मां त्वया सह

One should avoid seeing dogs and outcastes during recitation; if contact occurs, one should perform purification or remember Me together with you.

ज्योतींषि च प्रपश्येद्वा कुर्याद्वा प्राणसंयमम् अनासनः शयाने वा गच्छन्नुत्थित एव वा

One may gaze at lights or practice breath control; whether sitting, lying down, walking, or just risen.

रथ्यायामशिवे स्थाने न जपेत्तिमिरान्तरे प्रसार्य न जपेत्पादौ कुक्कुटासन एव वा

One should not recite in a street, impure place, or in darkness; nor with feet outstretched or in the posture of a rooster.

यानशय्याधिरूढो वा चिंताव्याकुलितो ऽथ वा शक्तश्चेत्सर्वमेवैतदशक्तः शक्तितो जपेत्

Whether riding, lying on a bed, or troubled by worry—if able, one should do all this; if unable, one should recite as best as possible.

किमत्र बहुनोक्तेन समासेन वचः शृणु सदाचारो जपञ्छुद्धं ध्यायन्भद्रं समश्नुते

Why speak at length? Hear this in brief: one who recites with good conduct, in purity, and with meditation attains auspiciousness.

आचारः परमो धर्म आचारः परमं धनं आचारः परमा विद्या आचारः परमा गतिः

Conduct is the highest dharma; conduct is the supreme wealth; conduct is the greatest knowledge; conduct is the ultimate path.

आचारहीनः पुरुषो लोके भवति निंदितः परत्र च सुखी न स्यात्तस्मादाचारवान्भवेत्

A person lacking proper conduct becomes condemned in the world and does not find happiness in the next; therefore, one should be endowed with good conduct.

यस्य यद्विहितं कर्म वेदे शास्त्रे च वैदिकैः तस्य तेन समाचारः सदाचारो न चेतरः

For one, whatever action is prescribed in the Vedas and authoritative scriptures, that alone is proper conduct for him; true conduct is not otherwise.

सद्भिराचरितत्वाच्च सदाचारः स उच्यते सदाचारस्य तस्याहुरास्तिक्यं मूलकारणम्

Because it is practiced by the virtuous, it is called good conduct; they say that the root cause of good conduct is faith.

आस्तिकश्चेत्प्रमादाद्यैः सदाचारादविच्युतः न दुष्यति नरो नित्यं तस्मादास्तिकतां व्रजेत्

If a believer is never deviated from good conduct due to negligence or other causes, he is never corrupted; therefore, one should become a believer.

यथेहास्ति सुखं दुःखं सुकृतैर्दुष्कृतैरपि तथा परत्र चास्तीति मतिरास्तिक्यमुच्यते

Just as happiness and sorrow exist here due to good and bad deeds, so too do they exist in the next world; this conviction is called faith.

रहस्यमन्यद्वक्ष्यामि गोपनीयमिदं प्रिये न वाच्यं यस्य कस्यापि नास्तिकस्याथ वा पशोः

I will speak another secret, beloved; this must be kept hidden and not told to anyone, neither to a non-believer nor to an animal.

सदाचारविहीनस्य पतितस्यान्त्यजस्य च पञ्चाक्षरात्परं नास्ति परित्राणं कलौ युगे

For one devoid of good conduct, fallen, or of the lowest caste, there is no protection beyond the five-syllable mantra in the Kali age.

गच्छतस्तिष्ठतो वापि स्वेच्छया कर्म कुर्वतः अशुचेर्वा शुचेर्वापि मन्त्रो ऽयन्न च निष्फलः

Whether walking, standing, or acting as one wishes, whether impure or pure, this mantra is never fruitless.

अनाचारवतां पुंसामविशुद्धषडध्वनाम् अनादिष्टो ऽपि गुरुणा मन्त्रो ऽयं न च निष्फलः

For men lacking proper conduct, whose six paths are impure, even if not instructed by a guru, this mantra is never fruitless.

अन्त्यजस्यापि मूर्खस्य मूढस्य पतितस्य च निर्मर्यादस्य नीचस्य मंत्रो ऽयं न च निष्फलः

For even the lowest, the ignorant, the foolish, the fallen, the unrestrained, or the base, this mantra is never fruitless.

सर्वावस्थां गतस्यापि मयि भक्तिमतः परम् सिध्यत्येव न संदेहो नापरस्य तु कस्यचित्

Even for one who has reached any state, if he possesses supreme devotion to me, it is always accomplished without doubt, but not for anyone else.

न लग्नतिथिनक्षत्रवारयोगादयः प्रिये अस्यात्यंतमवेक्ष्याः स्युर्नैष सप्तस्सदोदितः

Beloved, auspicious times, lunar days, stars, weekdays, and yogas are not to be considered for this; it is not governed by the seven prescribed rules.

न कदाचिन्न कस्यापि रिपुरेष महामनुः सुसिद्धो वापि सिद्धो वा साध्यो वापि भविष्यति

This great mantra is never, for anyone, at any time, an enemy; whether perfectly accomplished, accomplished, or to be accomplished, it will always be so.

सिद्धेन गुरुणादिष्टस्सुसिद्ध इति कथ्यते असिद्धेनापि वा दत्तस्सिद्धसाध्यस्तु केवलः

When instructed by a perfected guru, it is called perfectly accomplished; even if given by an unaccomplished one, it is merely accomplished and to be perfected.

असाधितस्साधितो वा सिध्यत्वेन न संशयः श्रद्धातिशययुक्तस्य मयि मंत्रे तथा गुरौ

Whether perfected or not, it is accomplished without doubt for one endowed with supreme faith in me, in the mantra, and in the guru.

आश्रमेत्परमां विद्यां साक्षात्पञ्चाक्षरीं बुधः

The wise should learn the supreme knowledge, the five-syllable mantra, directly in the ashram.

मंत्रान्तरेषु सिद्धेषु मंत्र एष न सिध्यति सिद्धे त्वस्मिन्महामंत्रे ते च सिद्धा भवंत्युत

Among other mantras, even if they are accomplished, this mantra does not become accomplished; but when this great mantra is accomplished, those others also become accomplished.

यथा देवेष्वलब्धो ऽस्मि लब्धेष्वपि महेश्वरि मयि लब्धे तु ते लब्धा मंत्रेष्वेषु समो विधिः

O Great Goddess, just as I am not attained among the gods, even among those who are attained, when I am attained, then you are attained; in these mantras, the rule is the same.

ये दोषास्सर्वमंत्राणां न ते ऽस्मिन्संभवंत्यपि अस्य मंत्रस्य जात्यादीननपेक्ष्य प्रवर्तनात्

Whatever faults exist in all other mantras, they do not occur in this one, because this mantra is practiced without regard for caste or other conditions.

तथापि नैव क्षुद्रेषु फलेषु प्रति योगिषु सहसा विनियुंजीत तस्मादेष महाबलः

Even so, one should not hastily employ it among those engaged in lowly or trivial aims; therefore, this mantra is of great power.

एवं साक्षान्महादेव्यै महादेवेन शूलिना हिता य जगतामुक्तः पञ्चाक्षरविधिर्यथा

Thus, the procedure of the five-syllabled mantra has been directly spoken for the benefit of the worlds by Mahadeva, the wielder of the trident, to Mahadevi.