In the eternal, divine realm, one is called to meditate upon Shiva, who is the pure and partless Brahman—supremely peaceful, the very embodiment of knowledge. Shiva is beyond all characteristics, indescribable and subtler than the subtlest, auspicious, without any support, inconceivable, and untouched by origin or destruction. This reality is liberation itself, nirvana, the highest and unsurpassed good. It is the immortal and imperishable Brahman, wondrous and forever beyond the cycle of rebirth. This supreme state is great bliss—supreme bliss and the bliss of yoga—free from all afflictions, beyond acceptance and rejection, subtler than anything subtle, and is Shiva. Shiva, who is the very essence of knowledge, is self-revealed yet unknowable, the supreme that lies beyond the senses and has no appearance, the highest reality, surpassing even the highest. Free from all limitations, Shiva is attainable through meditation and inquiry, nondual, established beyond all darkness, and is the ultimate supreme. Thus, one should contemplate Mahadeva—either within the mind, in the lotus of the heart, or at the navel as Sadashiva—the all-pervading Lord who is the essence of all the gods. Within one’s own body, meditation should be directed to Shiva, the Lord, who is pure knowledge and all-pervading. This can be done by following the path of Kanyasā, or through the method of upward movement, focusing on Shankara. Step by step, whether by the path of Kanyasā, the middle path, or the highest method, the wise should practice with kumbhaka, the yogic retention of breath. Concentrating in the heart or navel, the wise should exhale thirty-two times, having abandoned both inhalation and exhalation, and practice kumbhaka, as prescribed. With direct and equal absorption, one should contemplate Shiva within the body, attaining unity, and thus realize whatever essence arises from that unity. Those established in such direct and equal absorption know the bliss of Brahman. Here, concentration is measured in twelve units, and meditation is considered twelve concentrations. Meditation up to twelve stages is called samadhi, or, for the wise, it may arise simply through association. Whether through sustained effort over time or quickly, both paths can lead to the same attainment, but obstacles to yoga may arise again for one engaged in practice. Even these obstacles, however, are destroyed by repeated practice and devotion to the teacher. First among these obstacles is laziness, followed by affliction through disease, then negligence, doubt, and instability of mind. Lack of faith, non-perception, confusion, and threefold suffering also arise, along with dejection, unsuitability for what is unfit, and suitability for what is fit. For the sage, obstacles to yoga manifest in ten ways: laziness, inactivity, heaviness of body and mind. Diseases can arise from imbalances of the bodily elements, from past actions, or from faults; negligence is the absence of contemplation on the means to samadhi. When knowledge is affected by both doubt and negligence, uncertainty about the place of practice arises. Instability of mind is the lack of establishment for yogis. Even after attaining a certain state, because of the mind’s bondage, there may be absence of faith and lack of steadiness in practice. When the mind becomes fixed on the teacher, knowledge, conduct, Shiva, or similar objects, false knowledge arises as the perception of error. Knowledge of the self in what is not the self, due to ignorance, results in inner suffering, and suffering may also come from external sources. A third kind of suffering, arising from divine causes, is said to be natural, and disturbance of the mind is often due to the obstruction of desires. Dejection must be restrained by supreme detachment. When dejection is influenced by darkness and passion, it is called durmanas—a state of mental gloom. When dejection arises in the mind, it is durmanas, and it leads to the indiscriminate acceptance of things, without discerning what is suitable. Restlessness for various objects is another obstacle; these are indeed the obstacles to yoga for yogis. For one endowed with utmost enthusiasm, however, these obstacles are destroyed without doubt. When obstacles are overcome, the yogi is able to proceed further. Afflictions may still arise, and these are signs of imperfection. The first accomplishment is intuition, the second is hearing, the third is information, the fourth is vision, the fifth is taste, and the sixth is sensation. By abandoning even minor supernatural powers, the true attainments of the sage are those that bring real accomplishment: intuitive insight, the arising of intuition, and the state called intuition. Discrimination is called intellect; it is by intellect that the knowable is understood, whether it be subtle, hidden, past, distant, or future. Knowledge arises everywhere and always, in succession with intuition. By hearing all words, the yogi comes to understand them effortlessly. Even the subtle distinctions of short, long, and protracted sounds, and other secret sounds, become clear, and this leads to the attainment of touch—this is called perception. By seeing divine forms, vision arises without effort; by awareness of divine taste, there is enjoyment without effort. Likewise, through the awareness of intellect, yogis perceive the essence of divine fragrances throughout all the worlds, even up to Brahma’s realm. Within the body, in this world, there exist equally the sixty-fourfold qualities, arising from obstacles; these qualities are compounded and present within. All that arises from obstacles must always be abandoned by the self—whether demonic, earthly, or aquatic, as found in the cities of the Rākṣasas. In the Yakṣa realm, the fiery quality prevails; in the Gandharva realm, the airy; in the Indra realm, the ethereal; and in the Soma realm, the mental. In the Prajāpati realm, ego is present; in the Brahma realm, supreme knowledge is found. In the first, eight forms are present; in the second, sixteen likewise are found. Thus, the journey of meditation is one of steady practice, overcoming obstacles, and realizing the supreme, blissful, and all-pervading nature of Shiva within.