Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

य इदं कीर्तयेद्भक्त्या शृणुयाद्वा समाहितः सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः प्रयाति परमां गतिम्

Whoever recites this with devotion, or listens to it with concentration, is freed from all sins and attains the highest state.

भगवान्मंत्रमाहात्म्यं भवता कथितं प्रभो तत्प्रयोगविधानं च साक्षाच्छ्रुतिसमं यथा

O Lord, you have described the greatness of the mantra and its method of application, which is as direct as the Veda.

इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामि शिवसंस्कारमुत्तमम् मंत्रसंग्रहणे किंचित्सूचितन्न तु विस्मृतम्

Now I wish to hear about the supreme initiation of Shiva; something has been indicated regarding the collection of mantras, but not forgotten.

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि सर्वपापविशोधनम् संस्कारं परमं पुण्यं शिवेन पतिभाषितम्

Indeed, I will tell you the supreme, meritorious initiation, which destroys all sins, as spoken by Shiva himself.

सम्यक् कृताधिकारः स्यात्पूजादिषु नरो यतः संस्कारः कथ्यते तेन षडध्वपरिशोधनम्

A person becomes fully qualified for worship and other rites through this initiation, which is therefore described as the purification of the six paths.

दीयते येन विज्ञानं क्षीयते पाशबंधनम् तस्मात्संस्कार एवायं दीक्षेत्यपि च कथ्यते

By which knowledge is imparted and the bonds of fetters are destroyed, therefore this initiation is also called consecration.

शांभवी चैव शाक्ती च मांत्री चैव शिवागमे दीक्षोपदिश्यते त्रेधा शिवेन परमात्मना

In the Shiva scriptures, initiation is taught in three ways by Shiva, the Supreme Self: Shaambhavi, Shaakti, and Maantri.

गुरोरालोकमात्रेण स्पर्शात्संभाषणादपि सद्यस्संज्ञा भवेज्जंतोः पाशोपक्षयकारिणी

By merely seeing the guru, by touch, or even by conversation, immediate recognition arises in the being, causing the destruction of fetters.

सा दीक्षा शांभवी प्रोक्ता सा पुनर्भिद्यते द्विधा तीव्रा तीव्रतरा चेति पाशो पक्षयभेदतः

This is called Shaambhavi initiation, and it is again divided into two: intense and most intense, according to the degree of fetter destruction.

यया स्यान्निर्वृतिः सद्यस्सैव तीव्रतरा मता तीव्रा तु जीवतोत्यंतं पुंसः पापविशोधिका

That by which immediate liberation occurs is considered most intense; the intense one purifies a person's sins completely while alive.