Stories from the Shiva Purana - 16 (The Glory of the Five-syllabled Mantra of Shiva)

[S Jayanarayanan]

(Continued from the previous post. A crucial thing to consider before reciting any Mantra is that it should be learnt from a competent Guru,
as mentioned in the Shiva Purana:
https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226684.html
Section 7.2, Chapters 12-14)
 
 
It is impossible to explain in detail the glory of the five-syllabled Mantra even in hundreds of crores of years. Hence hear it in brief.
The five subtle Brahmans are stationed in the Mantra ‘Namah Shivaya’ occupying one syllable each. Shiva is devoid of beginning, middle
and end. He is the Lord innately pure, omniscient and perfect as mentioned in Shaivite agamas. This Mantra expresses Him. The Shivajnana,
is as extensive as the expression of Shiva, the six-syllabled Mantra, ‘OM Namah Shivaya’.
 
Just as an aphorism is ramified and expanded by its gloss, the six-syllabled Mantra is expanded by seven crores of great and subsidiary mantras.
Whatever texts there are, the texts expounding Shiva’s knowledge, the repositories of lore, they are the commentaries of the succinct aphorism,
the six-syllabled Mantra. Of what avail are many mantras and Shastras full of details to one whose heart is firmly established in the Mantra
‘OM Namah Shivaya’ ? If anyone has stabilised the Mantra ‘OM Namah Shivaya’ by frequent practice, he has learnt all, heard all and performed all.
A person steady in the Japa of the five-syllabled Mantra is released from the cage of sins whether he be a Shudra, base-born, fool or a learned man.
 
Lord Shiva said, “But he who worships Me even once with devotion repeating the five-syllabled Mantra, attains My region through the weightiness of
this Mantra alone. Indeed he who worships Me with the five-syllabled Mantra becomes liberated if he is in bondage. He who worships Me with the
six-syllabled or with the five-syllabled Mantra, with the Vedic mantra as its ancillary, with devotion to Me, is liberated. A fallen man or one
not fallen can worship with this Mantra. My devotee who has conquered anger may or may not be one who has attained Me. One who has attained Me is
a billion times superior to one who has not attained. Hence one should try to attain Me by worshipping Me with this Mantra. He who worships Me
with this Mantra, being equipped with friendship and other attributes with devotion and celibacy attains similarity to Me. Now I mention the form
of this great Mantra. The word ‘Namah’ shall be uttered at first. It shall be followed by the word ‘Shivaya’. This five-syllabled lore is present
in all Upanishads. It is eternal as well as the seed of all living beings. The letter ‘Na’ is the head; ‘Mah’ the tuft; ‘Shi’ the armour; ‘Va’ the eye;
‘Ya’ the missile. At the end of each letter shall be uttered — Namah, Svaha, Vashat, Hum, Vaushat, Phat. The devotee shall worship Me with Japa, Homa, etc.,
mentally, verbally and physically through this Mantra. A Japa without the behest of the preceptor, holy rites, faith and the prescribed fees is fruitless
though the behest might have been secured. The devotee shall approach the Brahmin preceptor who knows the principles, performs Japa, is devoted to
meditation and endowed with virtues. He shall strenuously propitiate him mentally, verbally, physically and monetarily. He shall possess the purity of piety.
Getting thus the Mantra and the permission from the preceptor the disciple shall perform the Samkalpa with pure mind and repeat the Mantra with the rite
of initiation.”
 
 
(To be Continued)