No Dharma as good as worship of Lord Shiva

न शिवार्चनतुल्योऽस्ति धर्मोऽन्यो भुवनत्रये | 23

In the three worlds there is no other Dharma as good as worship of Lord Shiva.

Importance of the five-lettered mantra

भक्त्या पंचाक्षरेणैव यः शिवं सकृदर्चयेत् |
सोऽपि गच्छेच्छिवस्थानं शिवमन्त्रस्य गौरवात् || 6 ||

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.

Upamanyu gives a mantra to Lord Krishna

सांगोपांगपूजाविधानवर्णनं नाम षड्विंशोऽध्यायः

Bodily worship performing description Chapter 26

उपमन्युरुवाच |

Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)

कृत्वापि सुमहत्पापं भक्त्या पंचाक्षरेण तु |
पूजयेद्यदि देवेशं तस्मात्पापात्प्रमुच्यते || 4 ||

After committing a grave sin, if (one) worships the God of the Devas with devotion by the five-lettered mantra, (he) is released from that sin.

Humans give up sin on contact with a Guru

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).

Guru's home is a temple

गुरोर्गृहे समक्षं वा न यथेष्टासनो भवेत् |
गुरुर्देवो यतः साक्षात्तद्गृहं देवमन्दिरम् || 25 ||

At the home of or in front of the Guru, (one) should not sit as one pleases. Since Guru is a visible Deva, that house/home is a temple.

A good disciple does not violate any Guru's instruction even mentally

गुरुमाहात्म्यं नाम पञ्चदशोऽध्यायः

Guru's importance Chapter 15

उपमन्युरुवाच |

Upamanyu said (to Lord Krishna)

श्रेयोऽर्थी यदि गुर्वाज्ञां मनसापि न लंघयेत् |
गुर्वाज्ञापालको यस्माज्ज्ञानसंपत्तिमश्नुते || 23 ||

If a good disciple does not violate any Guru's instruction even mentally, from that the follower of Guru's instructions (he) obtains knowledge and prosperity.

Even if not given by Guru, the five-lettered mantra does not fail

अनादिष्टोऽपि गुरुणा मन्त्रोऽयं न च निष्फलः | 64

And even uninstructed (not given) by Guru, this (five-lettered) mantra does not fail.

No higher means of rescue in Kaliyuga than the five-lettered mantra

सदाचारविहीनस्य पतितस्यान्त्यजस्य च |
पंचाक्षरात्परं नास्ति परित्राणं कलौ युगे || 62 ||

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.

Sagarbha and Agarbha chanting

प्राणायामसमायुक्तस्सगर्भो जप उच्यते | 30

Chanting combined with Pranayama (kumbhaka part) is called Sagarbha (chanting, else is called Agarbha chanting).

Devotion and 1008 Guru Mantra chants

पंचाक्षरमहिमावर्णनं नाम चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः

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.

Worthwhile life with Namah Shivaya

नमस्कारादिसंयुक्तं शिवायेत्यक्षरत्रयम् |
जिह्वाग्रे वर्तते यस्य सफलं तस्य जीवितम् || 36 ||

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.

The six-lettered Shiva-sentence

एतावत्तु शिवज्ञानमेतावत्परमं पदम् |
यदोंनमश्शिवायेति शिववाक्यं षडक्षरम् || 20 ||

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.

Greatness/importance of the 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 fixed on Lord Shiva

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 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.

Devotion to achieve proximity of God

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. Same appears also in
Bhagavat Purana, skandha 10, Chapter 81, shloka 4.

Literate Vs Devotee

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.

Worship: 2 types and 3 ways

द्विधा मत्पूजनं ज्ञेयं बाह्यमाभ्यंतरं तथा |
वाङ्मनःकायभेदाच्च त्रिधा मद्भजनं विदुः || 47 ||

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.

Liberation through Yoga

वैराग्याज्जायते ज्ञानं ज्ञानाद्योगः प्रवर्तते || 36 ||
योगज्ञः पतितो वापि मुच्यते नात्र संशयः | 37

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.

Dharma and Yoga

ज्ञानं क्रिया च चर्या च योगश्चेति सुरेश्वरि |
चतुष्पादः समाख्यातो मम धर्मस्सनातनः || 30 ||

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.

Faith controls the God

शिवभक्तिवर्णनं नाम दशमोऽध्यायः

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.