Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

शिवमंत्रजपो ध्यानं होमो यज्ञस्तपःश्रुतम् दानमध्ययनं सर्वे भावार्थं नात्र संशयः

Recitation of Śiva's mantra, meditation, fire-offering, sacrifice, austerity, study, charity, and all learning—these are all for the sake of inner feeling; there is no doubt about this.

भावहीनो नरस्सर्वं कृत्वापि न विमुच्यते भावयुक्तः पुनस्सर्वमकृत्वापि विमुच्यते

A man who acts without devotion is not liberated, even after performing everything; but one endowed with devotion is freed, even without performing anything.

चांद्रायणसहस्रैश्च प्राजापत्यशतैस्तथा मासोपवासैश्चान्यैश्च शिवभक्तस्य किं पुनः

What need is there for a devotee of Shiva to perform thousands of Cāndrāyaṇa vows, hundreds of Prājāpatya rites, or other monthly fasts?

अभक्ता मानवाश्चास्मिंल्लोके गिरिगुहासु च तपंति चाल्पभोगार्थं भक्तो भावेन मुच्यते

Men without devotion perform austerities in this world and in mountain caves, seeking only small enjoyments; but one who is devoted, with true feeling, is liberated.

सात्त्विकं मुक्तिदं कर्म सत्त्वे वै योगिनः स्थिताः राजसं सिद्धिदं कुर्युः कर्मिणो रजसावृताः

Action performed in the mode of goodness grants liberation; yogis abide in goodness. Those covered by passion perform action that grants success.

असुरा राक्षसाश्चैव तमोगुणसमन्विताः ऐहिकार्थं यजन्तीशं नराश्चान्ये ऽपि तादृशाः

Demons and Rākṣasas, endowed with the quality of darkness, and other such men, worship the Lord for worldly gain.

तामसं राजसं वापि सात्त्विकं भावमेव च आश्रित्य भक्त्या पूजाद्यं कुर्वन्भद्रं समश्नुते

Relying on devotion, whether their disposition is dark, passionate, or good, one who worships the Lord attains auspiciousness.

यतः पापार्णवात्त्रातुं भक्तिर्नौरिव निर्मिता तस्माद्भक्त्युपपन्नस्य रजसा तमसा च किम्

Because devotion is fashioned like a boat to save one from the ocean of sin, what use are passion or darkness for one endowed with devotion?

अन्त्यजो वाधमो वापि मूर्खो वा पतितो ऽपि वा शिवं प्रपन्नश्चेत्कृष्ण पूज्यस्सर्वसुरासुरैः

Even if one is of the lowest birth, the most fallen, ignorant, or degraded, if he surrenders to Shiva, O Krishna, he is worthy of worship by all gods and demons.

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन भक्त्यैव शिवमर्चयेत् अभुक्तानां क्वचिदपि फलं नास्ति यतस्ततः

Therefore, with all effort, one should worship Shiva with devotion alone; for those without devotion, there is no fruit at all, anywhere.

वक्ष्याम्यतिरहस्यं ते शृणु कृष्ण वचो मम वेदैश्शास्त्रैर्वेदविद्भिर्विचार्य सुविनिश्चितम्

Now I shall tell you a most secret teaching, listen to my words, O Krishna, which have been carefully determined by the Vedas, scriptures, and those learned in the Vedas.

ब्रह्मघ्नो वा सुरापो वा स्तेयीवा गुरुतल्पगः मातृहा पितृहा वापि वीरहा भ्रूणहापि वा

Whether one has killed a Brahmin, drunk liquor, stolen, violated the teacher’s wife, killed mother or father, slain a hero, or even destroyed an embryo—

संपूज्यामन्त्रकं भक्त्या शिवं परमकारणम् तैस्तैः पापैः प्रमुच्येत वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः क्रमात्

By worshipping Shiva, the supreme cause, with devotion and the proper mantra, one is freed from those sins, gradually, within twelve years.

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पतितो ऽपि यजेच्छिवम् भक्तश्चेन्नापरः कश्चिद्भिक्षाहारो जितेंद्रियः

Therefore, with all effort, even if fallen, one should worship Shiva; if he is a devotee, there is no one else—living on alms, with senses controlled.

कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेण तु पूजयेद्यदि देवेशं तस्मात्पापात्प्रमुच्यते

Even having committed a great sin, if one worships the Lord of gods with devotion and the five-syllable mantra, he is freed from that sin.

अब्भक्षा वायुभक्षाश्च ये चान्ये व्रतकर्शिताः तेषामेतैर्व्रतैर्नास्ति शिवलोकसमागमः

Those who subsist on water, air, or other severe vows—by these vows alone, they do not attain union with Shiva’s realm.

भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेणैव यः शिवं सकृदर्चयेत् सोपि गच्छेच्छिवस्थानं शिवमन्त्रस्य गौरवात्

But whoever worships Shiva even once, with devotion and the five-syllable mantra, he too attains Shiva’s abode, because of the greatness of the Shiva-mantra.

तस्मात्तपांसि यज्ञांश्च सर्वे सर्वस्वदक्षिणाः शिवमूर्त्यर्चनस्यैते कोट्यंशेनापि नो समाः

Therefore, all austerities, sacrifices, and gifts of all one’s wealth are not equal, even in a fraction of a crore, to the worship of Shiva’s form.

बद्धो वाप्यथ मुक्तो वा पश्चात्पञ्चाक्षरेण चेत् पूजयन्मुच्यते भक्तो नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Whether bound or liberated, if one worships with the five-syllable mantra afterwards, the devotee is freed—there should be no doubt about this.

अरुद्रो वा सरुद्रो वा सूक्तेन शिवमर्चयेत् यः सकृत्पतितो वापिमूढो वा मुच्यते नरः

Whether one is not wrathful or is wrathful, whoever worships Shiva with the hymn, even if he has fallen once or is deluded, that person is liberated.

षडक्षरेण वा देवं सूक्तमन्त्रेण पूजयेत् शिवभक्तो जितक्रोधो ह्यलब्धो लब्ध एव च

Or, if one worships the god with the six-syllabled mantra or with the hymn-mantra, a devotee of Shiva who has conquered anger, whether he has not attained or has attained, is indeed accomplished.

अलब्धाल्लब्ध एवात्र विशिष्टो नात्र संशयः स ब्रह्मांगेन वा तेन सहंसेन विमुच्यते

Here, one who has not attained is indeed regarded as having attained—there is no doubt in this; with the Brahman part or with the swan, he is liberated.

तस्मान्नित्यं शिवं भक्त्या सूक्तमन्त्रेण पूजयेत् एककालं द्विकालं वा त्रिकालं नित्यमेव वा

Therefore, one should always worship Shiva with devotion using the hymn-mantra, whether once a day, twice a day, thrice a day, or at all times.

ये ऽर्चयंति महादेवं विज्ञेयास्ते महेश्वराः ज्ञानेनात्मसहायेन नार्चितो भगवाञ्छिवः

Those who worship the great god should be known as lords themselves; Shiva, the blessed one, is not worshipped by knowledge alone, even with the help of the self.

स चिरं संसरत्यस्मिन्संसारे दुःखसागरे दुर्ल्लभं प्राप्य मानुष्यं मूढो नार्चयते शिवम्

He wanders long in this world, in the ocean of suffering; having attained the rare human birth, the deluded one does not worship Shiva.

निष्फलं तस्य तज्जन्म मोक्षाय न भवेद्यतः दुर्ल्लभं प्राप्य मानुष्यं ये ऽर्चयन्ति पिनाकिनम्

For him, that birth is fruitless, for it does not lead to liberation; but those who, having attained the rare human birth, worship the bearer of the pināka bow—

तेषां हि सफलं जन्म कृतार्थास्ते नरोत्तमाः भवभक्तिपरा ये च भवप्रणतचेतसः

For them, indeed, birth is fruitful; those best among men have fulfilled their purpose, who are devoted to Bhava and whose minds are bowed to Bhava.

भवसंस्मरणोद्युक्ता न ते दुःखस्य भागिनः भवनानि मनोज्ञानि विभ्रमाभरणाः स्त्रियः

Those intent on remembering Bhava do not partake of suffering; delightful houses, ornaments of passion, women—

धनं चातृप्तिपर्यन्तं शिवपूजाविधेः फलम् ये वाञ्छन्ति महाभोगान्राज्यं च त्रिदशालये

And wealth, which ends in dissatisfaction—these are the fruits of Shiva's worship for those who desire great enjoyments and sovereignty in the abode of the gods.