Five-Syllabled Mantra of Shiva – Shiva Purana

The chapters 12 to 14 in Section 7.2 of Vayaviya-saṃhita of Shiva Purana informed about the glory of the five-syllabled mantra of Shiva.

“Om Namah Shivaya” the mantra of Shiva is the essence of the Vedas and brings salvation. Shiva, the creator-Sustainer-Annihilator of the universe is stationed in the single-syllabled mantra Om. The five subtle Brahmans are stationed in the mantra “Namah Shivaya” occupying one syllable each. If anyone has stabilised the Mantra by frequent practice, he has learnt all, heard all and performed all. Its Japa frees the person from the sins.

Shiva is beginningless, all-pervasive, opposed to the ills of worldly existence, the primordial omniscient, perfect, pure, Sadashiva, and the protector of persons from the ocean of worldly existence.

Glory of five syllabled Mantra -
The practice of the five-syllabled Mantra affords protection from the fear of worldly existence. He who worships me even once with devotion repeating the five-syllabled mantra, attains Shiva region through the weightiness of this Mantra alone. Penances, sacrifices, observances and holy rites are not equal to even a croreth part of the worship with the five-syllabled mantra.
He who worships me with the five-syllabled mantra becomes liberated if he is in bondage. He who worships Shiva with this Mantra, being equipped with friendship and other attributes with devotion and celibacy attains similarity to Shiva.
At the advent of dissolution when the mobile and immobile beings perish, everything becomes merged in its cause. Then all the Vedas, scriptures etc. are stationed in the five-syllabled mantra. By the efficacy of the mantra, the sages reinforced by austerities are performing the creation of the gods, asuras and human beings in a splendid way. The devotee should worship Shiva with Japa, Homa, etc., mentally, verbally and physically through this Mantra.
Modes & Practice of the Japa -

A Japa without the behest of the preceptor, holy rites, faith and the prescribed fees is fruitless though the behest might have been secured. If a mantra is well practised with the acquisition of behest, attended with holy rites, equipped with faith in Shiva and accompanied by fee it is greatly efficacious.
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.

When the preceptor is satisfied, he shall let him stay for a year serving him without arrogance. On an auspicious day thereafter, he shall make him take his bath after observing fast. For the sake of purity, he shall again be subjected to ablution with vessels full of ghee and sacred water wherein holy materials shall be put. He shall dress him well and bedeck him with fragrant garlands, ornaments and garments. The Puṇyaha mantras shall be recited and brahmins worshipped. Then in a holy spot, near the seashore, river bank, cow pen temple or in the house itself, at an auspicious hour when the day is conducive to achievement, when the conjunctions of stars are devoid of defects, he shall bless him and impart to him this knowledge duly.

​In a secluded spot the preceptor delighted in mind shall repeat the mantra with due accents. He shall then make the disciple repeat it. Then the preceptor shall say ‘Let there be welfare. Let there be auspiciousness around. Let everything be pleasing and auspicious. Thus, the preceptor shall impart the mantra and allow him to practise it.

Getting thus the mantra and the permission from the preceptor the disciple shall perform the Saṃkalpa with pure mind and repeat the mantra with the rite of initiation. As long as he lives, he shall repeat the mantra one thousand and eight times everyday without thinking of anything else and devotedly attached to it alone. He attains the greatest goal. He who completes the Japa four hundred thousand times with great devotion, taking food only in the nights with full self-control, is said to be a Paurashcaraṇika.
Even after the Purashcaraṇa is over, he who continues to perform the Japa everyday, he is Siddha himself and confers Siddhi on others too.

He shall take bath, sit in a pleasing posture in a sacred spot. He shall meditate on Shiva in his heart along with you and shall remember his preceptor. He shall sit facing the north or the east, observe silence and concentration of the mind, purify the five principles by means of Dahana and Plavana rituals. He shall perform the Mantranyasa, make his body worthy and pure, meditate on us restraining Praṇa and Apana. He shall remember the respective place, form, sage, metre, the presiding deity, Bija, Shakti and the statement. Then he shall perform the Japa of the five-syllabled mantra. The mental Japa is excellent, Japa in a low voice is the middling. The verbal Japa is of the lowest quality. Mental Japa is that where the series of letters are thought well and the words and their meanings are pondered over.

The Japa with Rudra as the presiding deity is the most excellent, that with Vishu as the presiding deity is the middling and that with Brahma as the presiding deity is of the lowest quality.
The Japa performed with the praṇayama is Sagarbha Japa. In the first and the last even Agarbha Pranayama is commended. After performing the Pranayama forty times, the intelligent devotee, knowing the meaning of the mantra, shall remember the mantra. If he is unable to repeat so many times he shall repeat as many times as his physical strength permits him. He shall perform five, three or one Pranayama whether Agarbha or Sagarbha. The Sagarbha Pranayama is better of the two. The Sadhyana Japa is a thousand times better than the Sagarbha Japa. One of the five types of Japas shall be performed upto the extent of one’s ability.

There are various ways of counting the number of times the mantra has been repeated. Counting with the fingers is one mode. Eight times that number can be calculated by lines, ten times by dolls, hundred times by shells or gems, thousand times by corals, ten thousand times by crystal pieces, hundred thousand times by pearls, million times by seeds of lotuses, a crore of times by gold pieces, infinite time by a bundle of Kusha grass or Rudraksha beads. The thumb used in counting the number bestows salvation. The index finger destroys enemies. The middle finger bestows wealth. The ring finger brings about calmness and peace. If there are hundred and eight beads that rosary is the most excellent. If it has hundred beads it is excellent. If it has fifty beads it is the middling. With fifty-four beads it is good. The Japa shall be performed with these different rosaries. They must not be exhibited to anyone. The use of little finger in the Japa shall be avoided. In the act ot Japa it is held to be auspicious. The Japa shall be performed by means of the thumb in contact with other fingers. If Japa is performed without the thumb, it is futile. If performed in the house it is ordinarily efficacious. If performed in the cow pen it is hundred times more.
In a holy forest or park, it is thousand times more. On a holy mountain it is ten thousand times more. On the banks of a river, it is hundred thousand times more. The Japa performed in a temple is a crore of times more efficacious.

One should not perform Japa without a seat to sit on nor shall it be performed lying down, or standing up and walking. One shall not perform Japa in the open street or in an inauspicious place or in darkness. Legs shall not be stretched while performing the Japa nor shall one be in the cock like posture, or seated in a vehicle or in a couch. Japa shall not be performed when one is worried. If one is competent, one shall perform many Japas. Weak persons shall perform Japa according to capacity.

A person of good conduct, performing Japa and meditating purely attains welfare. Doing the duties prescribed by the Vedas, Shastras and the followers of the Vedas is meant by the word good conduct, nothing else.