Importance of five lettered mantra

पंचाक्षरमाहात्म्यवर्णनं नाम द्वादशोऽध्यायः
Description of the greatness/importance of the five-lettered mantra – Chapter 12



उपमन्युरुवाच |
Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)



पंचाक्षरस्य माहात्म्यं वर्षकोटिशतैरपि |
अशक्यं विस्तराद्वक्तुं तस्मात्संक्षेपतः शृणु || 2 ||
It is impossible to speak of the importance of the five-lettered mantra (Namah Shivaya) in (full) detail in even ten million years. Therefore, hear (it) in short.

Mind Fixation

शिवज्ञानवर्णनं नामैकादशोऽध्यायः
Description of the knowledge about Lord Shiva – Chapter 11



उपमन्युरुवाच |
Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)



नैकाग्रं चेच्छिवे चित्तं किं कृतेनापि कर्मणा |
एकाग्रमेव चेच्चित्तं किं कृतेनापि कर्मणा || 53 ||
तस्मात्कर्माण्यकृत्वा वा कृत्वा वांतर्बहिःक्रमात् |
येन केनाप्युपायेन शिवे चित्तं निवेशयेत् || 54 ||
If the mind does get fixed on Lord Shiva, (then also) what is the use of even doing (various) deeds?

Therefore after doing or not doing (various) deeds internally or externally, by some means or the other, the mind should be fixed on Lord Shiva.  

Devotion to Lord Shiva

शिवभक्तिवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः
Devotion to Lord Shiva – description Chapter 10



ईश्वर उवाच |
God said (to the supreme Goddess Parvati)



न मे प्रियश्चतुर्वेदी मद्भक्तो श्वपचोऽपि यः | 71
One who knows four Vedas is not my favourite (but) my devotee (is a favourite) even if a dog eater.



पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति |
तस्याहं न प्रणश्यामि स च मे न प्रणश्यति || 72 ||
One who gives me a leaf, a flower, a fruit (or) water with devotion – I do not keep away from him and he does not disappear from me.



These half-shlokas appear in Bhagavad Gita in two places. The first line is in Chapter 9, shloka 26 and the second one is in Chapter 6, shloka 30. Chapter 9, shloka 26 of Bhagavad Gita appears also in Bhagavat Purana, skandha 10, Chapter 81, shloka 4.