Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

शिवस्यभक्त्यापूजा हि जन्ममुक्तिकरीनृणाम् रुद्राक्षधारणात्पादमर्धं वैभूतिधारणात्

Worship of Shiva with devotion grants liberation from birth for people; by wearing rudrākṣa, half a step is gained, and by wearing the ashes, another.

त्रिपादं मंत्रजाप्याच्च पूजया पूर्णभक्तिमान् शिवलिंगं च भक्तं च पूज्य मोक्षं लभेन्नरः

By reciting mantras, one gains three steps; with worship and full devotion, both the emblem of Shiva and the devotee are worshipped, and a person attains liberation.

य इमं पठते ऽध्यायं शृणुयाद्वा समाहितः तस्यैव शिवभक्तिश्च वर्धतेसुदृढा द्विजाः

Whoever recites or listens to this chapter with concentration, their devotion to Shiva increases firmly, O twice-born ones.

प्रणवस्यचमाहात्म्यंषड्लिंगस्यमहामुने शिवभक्तस्यपूजांचक्रमशोब्रूहिनःप्रभो

O great sage, tell us of the greatness of Praṇava, the sixfold Liṅga, and the worship of a devotee of Shiva.

तपोधनैर्भवद्भिश्च सम्यक्प्रश्नस्त्वयं कृतः अस्योत्तरंमहादेवोजानातिस्मनचापरः

O ascetics, you have asked a proper question; Mahadeva alone knows the answer to this, and no one else.

अथापिवक्ष्येतमहंशिवस्यकृपयैवहि शिवो ऽस्माकंचयुष्माकंरक्षांगृह्णातुभूरिशः

Now, by the grace of Shiva, I shall explain; may Shiva, the great Lord, protect both us and you.

प्रोहिप्रकृतिजातस्यसंसारस्यमहोदधेः नवं नावांतरमिति प्रणवं वै विदुर्बुधाः

The wise know Praṇava as a new boat for one born in the great ocean of worldly existence, which is caused by nature.

प्रःप्रपञ्चोननास्तिवो युष्माकंप्रणवंविदुः प्रकर्षेणनयेद्यस्मान्मोक्षंवः प्रणवं विदुः

The syllable 'pra' denotes the fivefold manifestation; know that Praṇava is yours, for it leads you to liberation in the highest way.

स्वजापकानांयोगिनांस्वमंत्रपूजकस्यच सर्वकर्मक्षयंकृत्वादिव्यज्ञानंतुनूतनम्

For those who recite their own mantra, for yogins and worshippers of their own mantra, Praṇava destroys all karma and bestows new divine knowledge.

तमेव मायारहितं नूतनं परिचक्षते प्रकर्षेण महात्मानं नवं शुद्धस्वरूपकम्

They call that very Praṇava, which is free from illusion and ever new, the supreme, pure essence in its highest form.

नूतनं वै करोतीति प्रणवं तं विदुर्बुधाः प्रणवंद्विविधंप्रोक्तंसूक्ष्मस्थूलविभेदतः

The wise know Praṇava as that which ever renews; Praṇava is described in various ways, as subtle and gross.

सूक्ष्ममेकाक्षरं विद्यात्स्थूलं पञ्चाक्षरं विदुः सूक्ष्ममव्यक्तपञ्चार्णं सुव्यक्तार्णं तथेतरत्

The subtle Praṇava is known as the single syllable; the gross is known as five syllables. The subtle is the unmanifest with five sounds; the other is manifest with clear sounds.

जीवन्मुक्तस्य सूक्ष्मं हि सर्वसारं हि तस्यहि मंत्रेणार्थानुसंधानं स्वदेहविलयावधि

For one liberated while living, the subtle is indeed the essence of all; by meditating on the meaning with the mantra, until the dissolution of one's own body.

स्वदेहेगलितेपूर्णंशिवंप्राप्नोतिनिश्चयः केवलंमंत्रजापीतुयोगंप्राप्नोतिनिश्चयः

When the body dissolves, one surely attains Shiva completely; but even by mantra recitation alone, one certainly attains union.

षट्त्रिंशत्कोटिजापीतुनिश्चयंयोगमाप्नुयात् सूक्ष्मंचद्विविधंज्ञेयंह्रस्वदीर्घविभेदतः

By reciting thirty-six crores, one surely attains union; the subtle is to be known as twofold, distinguished as short and long.

अकारश्च उकारश्चमकारश्चततःपरम् बिंदुनादयुतं तद्धि शब्दकालकलान्वितम्

It consists of 'a', 'u', and then 'ma', together with bindu and nada; it is endowed with the measures of sound and time.

दीर्घप्रणवमेवंहियोगिनामेवहृद्गतम् मकारंतंत्रितत्त्वं हि ह्रस्वप्रणव उच्यते

Thus, the long Praṇava is held in the heart by yogins; the short Praṇava is said to be the essence of the three principles, ending with 'ma'.

शिवःशक्तिस्तयोरैक्यंमकारंतुत्रिकात्मकम् ह्रस्वमेवंहिजाप्यंस्यात्सर्वपापक्षयैषिणाम्

Shiva and Shakti are united in 'ma', which is of triple nature; thus, the short form is to be recited by those who seek the destruction of all sins.

भूवायुकनकार्णोद्योःशब्दाद्याश्चतथादश आशान्वयेदशपुनः प्रवृत्ता इतिकथ्यते

From earth, air, sky, fire, water, and the ten directions arise the tenfold sounds; these are said to be the sources of manifestation.

ह्रस्वमेवप्रवृत्तानांनिवृत्तानांतुदीर्घकम् व्याहृत्यादौचमंत्रादौकामंशब्दकलायुतम्

For those engaged in action, the short form is used; for those withdrawn, the long form. From the vyāhṛtis and the mantra, the 'u' sound is joined with the measure of sound.

वेदादौचप्रयोज्यंस्याद्वंदनेसंध्ययोरपि नवकौटिजपाञ्जप्त्वासंशुद्धःपुरुषोभवेत्

In the Vedas, the 'u' is to be applied in worship and at the two twilights; by reciting ninety crores, a person becomes purified without doubt.

पुनश्चनवकोट्यातुपृथिवीजयमाप्नुयात् पुनश्चनवकोट्यातुह्यपांजयमवाप्नुयात्

Again, after nine crores of repetitions, one attains victory over the earth; again, after nine crores, one attains victory over the waters.

पुनश्चनवकोट्यातुतेजसांजयमाप्नुयात् पुनश्चनवकोट्या तु वायोर्जयमवाप्नुयात् आकाशजयमाप्नोति नवकोटिजपेन वै

Again, after nine crores, one attains victory over fire; again, after nine crores, one attains victory over air; by reciting nine crores, one attains victory over space.

गंधादीनांक्रमेणैवनवकोटिजपेणवै अहंकारस्य च पुनर्नव कोटिजपेन वै

In the same way, by reciting nine crores for each, one attains mastery over scent and the other elements in order, and again, by nine crores of recitation, over the ego as well.

सहस्रमंत्रजप्तेन नित्यशुद्धो भवेत्पुमान् ततः परंस्वसिद्ध्यर्थंजपोभवतिहिद्विजाः

By reciting the mantra a thousand times, a person becomes ever pure; thereafter, O twice-born, further recitation is for attaining one's own accomplishment.

एवमष्टोत्तरशतकोटिजप्तेनवैपुनः प्रणवेनप्रबुद्धस्तुशुद्धयोगमवाप्नुयात्

In this way, by reciting one hundred and eight crores, one becomes awakened through the praṇava and attains pure yoga.

शुद्धयोगेनसंयुक्तोजीवन्मुक्तोनसंशयः सदाजपन्सदाध्यायञ्छिवं प्रणवरूपिणम्

Endowed with pure yoga, one is liberated while living, without doubt, always reciting and meditating on Shiva, who is of the form of praṇava.

समाधिस्थोमहायोगीशिव एव नसंशयः ऋषिच्छंदोदेवतादिन्यस्यदेहेपुनर्जपेत्

Absorbed in samadhi, the great yogi is truly Shiva, without doubt; one should again recite in the body, as per the seer, meter, deity, and so on.

प्रणवं मातृकायुक्तंदेहेत्यस्य ऋषिर्भवेत् दशमातृषडध्वादि सर्वंन्यासफलं लभेत्

The praṇava joined with the letters, when recited in the body, has the seer as its sage; by means of the ten mothers, the six paths, and so on, one attains all the fruits of nyāsa.