Removal of the illusion/confusion of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma – Chapter 35
उपमन्युरुवाच |
Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)
शिवो हि प्रणवो ह्येष प्रणवो हि शिवः स्मृतः || 43 ||
Lord Shiva himself is the Pranava (the primordial sound Om); this
Pranava itself is called Lord Shiva.
Shloka 28 of Chapter 48 of Parvati block of Rudra Samhita says just
the same thing in slightly different words.
शिवो नादमयः सत्यं नादः शिवमयस्तथा |
उभयोरन्तरं नास्ति नादस्य च शिवस्य च || 28 ||
One who worships Lord Shiva with the five-lettered (mantra) with devotion, he too attains the place of Lord Shiva because of the weight/importance of the Shiva mantra.
यथेह वह्निसंपर्कान्मलं त्यजति काञ्चनम् || 26 ||
तथैव गुरुसंपर्कात्पापं त्यजति मानवः |
यथा वह्निसमीपस्थो घृतकुम्भो विलीयते || 27 ||
Just as gold gives up dirt on contact with fire in this world, very similarly a human gives up sin on contact with a Guru. Just as a pot of ghee melts away (disappears) when (placed) near fire (similarly do the sins slowly melt away or disappear in vicinity of a Guru).
Of (a person) without good behaviour, of a fallen (person), of a person of low quality, there is no higher means of rescue in Kaliyuga than the five-lettered mantra.
Chanting combined with Pranayama (kumbhaka part) is called Sagarbha (chanting, else is called Agarbha chanting).
Description of the greatness of the five-lettered mantra – Chapter 14
ईश्वर उवाच |
God said (to the supreme Goddess)
यावज्जीवं जपेन्नित्यमष्टोत्तरसहस्रकम् |
अनन्यस्तत्परो भूत्वा स याति परमां गतिम् || 17 ||
As long as a living being chants (the Guru given mantra) a thousand
and eight times everyday eagerly after completely devoting oneself, he
attains the highest state.
अंत्यजो वाधमो वापि मूर्खो वा पंडितोऽपि वा |
पंचाक्षरजपे निष्ठो मुच्यते पापपंजरात् || 37 ||
इत्युक्तं परमेशेन देव्या पृष्टेन शूलिना |
हिताय सर्वमर्त्यानां द्विजानां तु विशेषतः || 38 ||
One on whose front of the tongue exists the triplet of letters Shivaya
with Namah in the beginning, his living (his life) is successful (has
been worthwhile).
A person of the lowest caste or a person of lowest quality or a fool
or even a scholar (if) oriented towards chanting the five-lettered
mantra, gets released from the cage of sins.
Such (was) spoken by the supreme God Shiva (holding the spear) on
being asked by the Goddess, for the good of all mortals, but
particularly for Brahmins.
This much is the knowledge about Lord Shiva; this is the highest
state, which is Om Namah Shivaya, the six-lettered Shiva-sentence.
Shloka 34 of chapter 17 in Vidyeshwara Samhita mentioned that the
five-lettered mantra should always be chanted with the Pranava (Om) in
the beginning.
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.
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 not get fixed on Lord Shiva, what is the use of even
doing (various) deeds? And 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.
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. Same appears also in
Bhagavat Purana, skandha 10, Chapter 81, shloka 4.
One who knows four Vedas is not my favourite (but) my devotee (is a
favourite) even if a dog eater.
My worship should be known to be of two kinds, external and internal,
(and is) known to be (done in) three ways – by speech, by mind and by
the body.
From non-attachment emerges knowledge, from knowledge, Yoga prevails.
One who knows Yoga, even if fallen, get released (liberated from the
cycle of births and deaths), there is no doubt about this.
पशुपाशपतिज्ञानं ज्ञानमित्यभिधीयते |
षडध्वशुद्धिर्विधिना गुर्वधीना क्रियोच्यते || 31 ||
वर्णाश्रमप्रयुक्तस्य मयैव विहितस्य च |
ममार्चनादिधर्मस्य चर्या चर्येति कथ्यते || 32 ||
मदुक्तेनैव मार्गेण मय्यवस्थितचेतसः |
वृत्त्यंतरनिरोधो यो योग इत्यभिधीयते || 33 ||
Goddess of the Devas, knowledge, Kriya/procedures and
Charya/conduct/behaviour and Yoga – these are called the four legs of
my eternal Dharma.
Knowledge of pashu (being), cord (that which ties a living being),
lordship is called knowledge. Shadadhva purification (initiation)
procedure depending on a Guru is called Kriya (procedure).
Behaviour according to Varnashrama Dharma determined by me only and
activities related to my worship, etc. is called Charya (conduct).
On the path spoken by me, with the mind fixed in me,
suppression/prevention of chitta/thinking, that is called Yoga.
Bhagavat Purana lists truth, compassion, penance and charity as the
four legs of Dharma in one shloka, and austerity, purity, mercy and
truth in another shloka.
Devotion to Lord Shiva – description Chapter 10
ईश्वर उवाच |
God said (to the supreme Goddess Parvati)
न कर्मणा न तपसा न जपैर्नासनादिभिः |
न ज्ञानेन न चान्येन वश्योऽहं श्रद्धया विना || 15 ||
श्रद्धा मय्यस्ति चेत्पुंसां येन केनापि हेतुना |
वश्यः स्पृश्यश्च दृश्यश्च पूज्यस्संभाष्य एव च || 16 ||
साध्या तस्मान्मयि श्रद्धा मां वशीकर्तुमिच्छता |
श्रद्धा हेतुस्स्वधर्मस्य रक्षणं वर्णिनामिह || 17 ||
स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मेण वर्तते यस्तु मानवः |
तस्यैव भवति श्रद्धा मयि नान्यस्य कस्यचित् || 18 ||
I am not brought under control without faith, not by deeds, not by
penance, not by japa (chanting), not by postures, etc., not by
knowledge and not by other (means).
If one has faith in me for just any purpose, for controlling, for
touching, for seeing, and for worshiping and for hearing (me), (it can
control me).
Those who want to control me should therefore try to achieve my faith.
To achieve that faith, (one should) protect/follow one's Varnashrama
Dharma (duties of different professions at different ages) on the
earth.
A human who follows his Varnashrama Dharma, only he gets my faith, and
nobody else.
Pashupati lordship knowledge Chapter 5
उपमन्युरुवाच |
Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)
क्षरस्सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थोऽक्षर उच्यते | 11
All living beings (are) perishable/temporary, (while) the unchanging
(supreme soul) is called eternal/permanent.
The same half-shloka appears in Bhagavad Gita in Chapter 15, shloka 16.
Therefore the whole universe, living and non-living beings, is of the
form of energy.
यथा न जायते पुत्रः पितरं मातरं विना |
तथा भवं भवानीं च विना नैतच्चराचरम् | 37
Just as a son is not born without a father (and) a mother, there
(would be) no living and non-living beings (world) without Lord Shiva
and the supreme Goddess Uma.
Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva greatness Chapter 4
उपमन्युरुवाच |
Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)
एवं परस्परापेक्षा शक्तिशक्तिमतोः स्थिता |
न शिवेन विना शक्तिर्न शक्त्या च विना शिवः || 12 ||
In this way (just as sunlight and sun) Goddess Shakti and Shaktiman
(Lord Shiva) exist depending on each other. No Lord Shiva without
Goddess Shakti and no Goddess Shakti without Lord Shiva.
Vayaviya Samhita, Later/north part, Lord Krishna's son obtaining
description Chapter 2
उपमन्युरुवाच |
Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)
ब्रह्माद्याः स्थावरांताश्च देवदेवस्य शूलिनः |
पशवः परिकीर्त्यंते संसारवशवर्तिनः || 11 ||
तेषां पतित्वाद्देवेशः शिवः पशुपतिः स्मृतः |
मलमायादिभिः पाशैः स बध्नाति पशून्पतिः || 12 ||
स एव मोचकस्तेषां भक्त्या सम्यगुपासितः | 13
From Lord Brahma to stationary things, under the control of the
material world (or Maya), are called the "pashus" of Lord Shiva, the
God of the Devas.
Because of his lordship over them, Lord Shiva is considered to be the
"Pashupati". The Lord ties/binds the "pashus" with the cord of Maya
(the illusion causing power), dirt, etc.
He only is their liberator, (if) worshipped properly by devotion.
Vayudeva said (to the sages)
भक्त्या पञ्चाक्षरेणैव पत्रैः पुष्पैर्वनोद्भवैः |
समभ्यर्च्य चिरं कालं चचार परमं तपः || 54 ||
Worshipping (a Shivalinga made of clay/mud) with leaves and flowers
which grow in the forest with the five-lettered (mantra) with devotion
for a long time, (Upamanyu) practised penance of the highest level
(consuming only wind, not food).
And take the mantra given by me by my authorisation. By chanting only
this (mantra) quickly your protection will take place.
Upamanyu's penance description Chapter 34
मातोवाच |
(Upamanyu's) mother said (to Upamanyu)
तस्मान्मन्त्रान्तरांस्त्यक्त्वा पंचाक्षरपरो भव |
तस्मिञ्जिह्वांतरगते न किंचिदिह दुर्लभम् || 46 ||
Therefore (since this mantra is powerful and can protect you always)
forget other mantras and become engrossed in the five-lettered (Namah
Shivaya). Once it gets on your tongue nothing is difficult to get in
this world.
Chapter 32 of Shatarudra Samhita contains the same story and has some
similar shlokas.
The whole material world is (a synonym of) suffering only, that is
certain. How would suffering (material world) become non-suffering, a
nature which is really contrary/opposite?
