Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

कठ्योः पाण्योर्गुल्फयोश्च यद्वा पञ्चांगवर्त्मना हंसन्यासमिमं कृत्वा न्यसेत्पञ्चाक्षरीं ततः

At the hips, hands, and ankles, or by the method of the five limbs, having performed this haṃsa placement, one should then place the five-syllable mantra.

यथा पूर्वोक्तमार्गेण शिवत्वं येन जायते नाशिवः शिवमभ्यस्येन्नाशिवः शिवमर्चयेत्

By the method previously described, by which Śivatva is attained, one who is not Śiva should not practice or worship Śiva.

नाशिवस्तु शिवं ध्यायेन्नाशिवम्प्राप्नुयाच्छिवम् तस्माच्छैवीं तनुं कृत्वा त्यक्त्वा च पशुभावनाम्

One who is not Śiva should not meditate on Śiva, nor will he attain Śiva; therefore, having assumed a Śaiva body and abandoned the attitude of a bound soul—

शिवो ऽहमिति संचिन्त्य शैवं कर्म समाचरेत् कर्मयज्ञस्तपोयज्ञो जपयज्ञस्तदुत्तरः ध्यानयज्ञो ज्ञानयज्ञः पञ्च यज्ञाः प्रकीर्तिताः

Contemplating 'I am Śiva,' one should perform Śaiva acts; the sacrifice of action, the sacrifice of austerity, the sacrifice of recitation, then the sacrifice of meditation, and the sacrifice of knowledge—these five sacrifices are declared.

कर्मयज्ञरताः केचित्तपोयज्ञरताः परे जपयज्ञरताश्चान्ये ध्यानयज्ञरतास्तथा

Some are devoted to the sacrifice of action, others to the sacrifice of austerity, others to the sacrifice of recitation, and likewise others to the sacrifice of meditation.

ज्ञानयज्ञरताश्चान्ये विशिष्टाश्चोत्तरोत्तरम् क्रमयज्ञो द्विधा प्रोक्तः कामाकामविभेदतः

Others are devoted to the sacrifice of knowledge, each successively more distinguished; the sacrifice of sequence is said to be twofold, according to the distinction of desire and non-desire.

कामान्कामी ततो भुक्त्वा कामासक्तः पुनर्भवेत् अकामे रुद्रभवने भोगान्भुक्त्वा ततश्च्युतः

The one who desires, having enjoyed desires, becomes attached to desires again; but the one without desire, having enjoyed pleasures in the abode of Rudra, then departs from there.

तपोयज्ञरतो भूत्वा जायते नात्र संशयः तपस्वी च पुनस्तस्मिन्भोगान् भुक्त्वा ततश्च्युतः

Becoming devoted to the sacrifice of austerity, one is born—of this there is no doubt; and the ascetic, having again enjoyed pleasures there, then departs from there.

जपध्यानरतो भूत्वा जायते भुवि मानवः जपध्यानरतो मर्त्यस्तद्वैशिष्ट्यवशादिह

Becoming devoted to the sacrifice of recitation and meditation, one is born as a human on earth; the mortal devoted to recitation and meditation, due to that distinction, here—

ज्ञानं लब्ध्वाचिरादेव शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात् तस्मान्मुक्तो शिवाज्ञप्तः कर्मयज्ञो ऽपि देहिनाम्

By attaining knowledge, one quickly reaches union with Shiva; therefore, even the sacrifice of actions, when performed by those liberated and commanded by Shiva, is for embodied beings.

अकामः कामसंयुक्तो बन्धायैव भविष्यति तस्मात्पञ्चसु यज्ञेषु ध्यानज्ञानपरो भवेत्

If performed without desire, it leads to liberation; if performed with desire, it results only in bondage. Therefore, among the five sacrifices, one should be devoted to meditation and knowledge.

ध्यानं ज्ञानं च यस्यास्ति तीर्णस्तेन भवार्णवः हिंसादिदोषनिर्मुक्तो विशुद्धश्चित्तसाधनः

He who possesses both meditation and knowledge crosses over the ocean of worldly existence; freed from faults such as violence, with a purified mind as his means.

ध्यानयज्ञः परस्तस्मादपवर्गफलप्रदः बहिः कर्मकरा यद्वन्नातीव फलभागिनः

Among these, the sacrifice of meditation is supreme, bestowing the fruit of liberation; just as those engaged in external actions receive only limited results.

दृष्ट्वा नरेन्द्रभवने तद्वदत्रापि कर्मिणः ध्यानिनां हि वपुः सूक्ष्मं भवेत्प्रत्यक्षमैश्वरम्

Just as in the palace of a king, so also here among those who act; the form of those who meditate is subtle, and their divine presence is directly perceived.

यथेह कर्मणां स्थूलं मृत्काष्ठाद्यैः प्रकल्पितम् ध्यानयज्ञरतास्तस्माद्देवान्पाषाणमृण्मयान्

As here, the gross forms of actions are constructed from clay, wood, and the like, so those devoted to the sacrifice of meditation surpass the gods made of stone or clay.

नात्यंतं प्रतिपद्यंते शिवयाथात्म्यवेदनात् आत्मस्थं यः शिवं त्यक्त्वा बहिरभ्यर्चयेन्नरः

They do not attain the ultimate, because they do not realize the true nature of Shiva; abandoning Shiva who dwells within the self, a man worships externally.

हस्तस्थं फलमुत्सृज्य लिहेत्कूर्परमात्मनः ज्ञानाद्ध्यानं भवेद्ध्यानाज्ज्ञानं भूयः प्रवर्तते

Let him not discard the fruit already in his hand and lick his own elbow; from knowledge arises meditation, and from meditation, knowledge again proceeds.

तदुभाभ्यां भवेन्मुक्तिस्तस्माद्ध्यानरतो भवेत् द्वादशान्ते तथा मूर्ध्नि ललाटे भ्रूयुगान्तरे

From both together comes liberation; therefore, one should be devoted to meditation—at the end of twelve fingers' breadth, at the crown of the head, at the forehead, or between the eyebrows.

नासाग्रे वा तथास्ये वा कन्धरे हृदये तथा नाभौ वा शाश्वतस्थाने श्रद्धाविद्धेन चेतसा

Or at the tip of the nose, at the mouth, at the neck, at the heart, or at the navel—at these eternal places, with a mind pierced by faith.

बहिर्यागोपचारेण देवं देवीं च पूजयेत् अथवा पूजयेन्नित्यं लिंगे वा कृतकेपि वा

With external offerings, one should worship the god and the goddess; or one may worship always, whether in a liṅga or even in an artificial form.

वह्नौ वा स्थण्डिले वाथ भक्त्या वित्तानुसारतः अथवांतर्बहिश्चैव पूजयेत्परमेश्वरम् अंतर्यागरतः पूजां बहिः कुर्वीत वा न वा

Or in fire, or on a sacrificial altar, according to one's devotion and means; or both internally and externally, one should worship the Supreme Lord. If devoted to internal worship, one may perform external worship or not.

व्याख्यां पूजाविधानस्य प्रवदामि समासतः शिवशास्त्रे शिवेनैव शिवायै कथितस्य तु

I shall briefly explain the method of worship, as taught by Shiva himself to the goddess in the scripture of Shiva.

अंगमभ्यंतरं यागमग्निकार्यावसानकम् विधाय वा न वा पश्चाद्बहिर्यागं समाचरेत्

The internal worship, up to the completion of the fire ritual, may be performed or not; afterwards, one should perform the external worship.

तत्र द्रव्याणि मनसा कल्पयित्वा विशोध्य च ध्यात्वा विनायकं देवं पूजयित्वा विधानतः

There, having mentally conceived and purified the offerings, and having meditated on the god Vinayaka, one should worship him according to the prescribed method.

दक्षिणे चोत्तरे चैव नंदीशं सुयशं तथा आराध्य मनसा सम्यगासनं कल्पयेद्बुधः

On the right and left, one should worship Nandi and Suyaśa; having properly worshipped them in the mind, the wise should arrange the seat.

आराधनादिकैर्युक्तस्सिंहयोगासनादिकम् पद्मासनं वा विमलं तत्त्वत्रयसमन्वितम्

Endowed with the acts of worship and the like, with the lion posture or similar, or with the pure lotus posture, accompanied by the three principles.

तस्योपरि शिवं ध्यायेत्सांबं सर्वमनोहरम् सर्वलक्षणसंपन्नं सर्वावयवशोभनम्

Upon that, one should meditate on Shiva with his consort, supremely enchanting, endowed with all auspicious marks, beautiful in every limb.

सर्वातिशयसंयुक्तं सर्वाभरणभूषितम् रक्तास्यपाणिचरणं कुंदचंद्रस्मिताननम्

Endowed with every excellence, adorned with all ornaments, with red mouth, hands, and feet, and a face smiling like jasmine and the moon.

शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशं फुल्लपद्मत्रिलोचनम् चतुर्भुजमुदाराङ्गं चारुचंद्रकलाधरम्

Resembling pure crystal, with three eyes like blooming lotuses, four-armed, with noble limbs, and bearing a beautiful crescent moon.