Energy in this universe takes many forms—lightning and such brilliant forces are its manifestations, while essence reveals itself as sweetness and similar qualities. Through these two, energy and essence, all beings and things, whether moving or still, find their support and sustenance. From the sacred fire, Agni, arises the immortal principle, and in turn, Agni is fortified by that immortal essence. Thus, the powerful principle of Agni and Soma—fire and nectar—brings benefit to the entire world. The abundance of crops springs from offerings made into the fire, and rain descends for the growth of those crops. Offerings nurture rain, and rain nurtures the earth; in this way, Agni and Soma uphold the world’s order. Agni, the fire, blazes upward, reaching toward the domain of the lunar nectar, while the nectar itself flows downward to the place of Agni. Thus, the fire of time is established below, and Shakti, the divine power, is above—so long as burning ascends and the flooding nectar descends. This upward-rising fire of time is supported by Shakti, while the downward-moving Soma is the seat of both Shiva and Shakti. Shiva stands above, Shakti below; yet Shakti is also above, and Shiva below. In this manner, there is nothing in existence that is not pervaded by Shiva and Shakti. It is said that the power of fire is so great that, time and again, it has burned the world to ashes. The potency of fire, therefore, resides within the ash itself. Whoever understands the true nature of this ash and bathes with it, reciting mantras beginning with ‘Agni’, is released from bondage. When this ash, which holds the power of fire, is bathed again with Soma, by the method of non-union, it becomes fit for the authority of nature. But when the ash is bathed everywhere by the method of union, with the nectar-rain of Shakti, it transcends the authority of nature. Therefore, by continually bathing in this nectar, one becomes a conqueror of death. Having touched the nectar of Shiva and Shakti, how could death prevail? Whoever knows the secret of this burning and bathing, as described, and abandons the states of Agni and Soma, is not born again. He who burns his body with the fire of Shiva and bathes it with the nectar of Shakti, following the path of yoga, becomes worthy of immortality. Holding in the heart this meaning, as spoken by the divine—that the universe is of the nature of Agni and Soma—one abides accordingly. Now, let me explain briefly how the essence of speech and meaning in this world has been established, and the knowledge of the sixfold path. There is no object without sound, nor sound without meaning; thus, at the right moment, every sound bears all meanings. The transformation of nature is twofold: the manifestation of sound and the manifestation of meaning. This is known as the primal form of Shiva and Shakti, the supreme selves. The power that is of the nature of sound is described by the wise as threefold: gross, subtle, and supreme. The gross is that which is heard; the subtle is composed of thought; the supreme is beyond thought. This supreme power rests in the principle of Shiva. When united with the power of knowledge, it is further strengthened by will. As the totality of all powers, it is known as the principle of power. Having become the root-nature of all creation, she is called Kuṇḍalinī, Māyā, and the supreme pure path. By her nature of division, she expands as the sixfold path: three pertaining to sound and three to meaning, as has been declared. For each person, according to their purity, the authority for dissolution or enjoyment arises from the division of these principles. Through the kalās, these principles are pervaded, just as they are, at the beginning of the supreme Prakṛti, through their fivefold transformation. These kalās, beginning with Nivṛtti, are considered sufficient; the paths of mantra, pada, and varṇa are so named by their respective terms. The paths of bhuvana, tattva, and kalā are, in order, established by their meanings; here, the mutual pervasion and non-pervasion of all is explained. Mantras are pervaded by all padas, for sentences are formed from words, and words from letters; the wise declare that a group of letters is a word. Letters are pervaded by bhuvanas, since they exist within them; and bhuvanas, in turn, by groups of tattvas, through their arising and expansion. These are further pervaded in many ways by causal tattvas, for they are established from them, and some bhuvanas arise from within. Other bhuvanas, as known from the Purāṇas, are to be understood in the Śivāgama, and some tattvas are established in Sāṃkhya and Yoga. Other tattvas, well-known in the scriptures of Śiva, are also to be considered in their entirety; by means of the kalās, these principles are pervaded just as they are. At the beginning of the supreme Prakṛti, through its fivefold transformation, the kalās beginning with Nivṛtti pervade the five, each in proper order. From the perspective of pervasion, the supreme power is undivided among the six paths, for the existence of the supreme nature is established from the principle of Śiva. From Śakti down to earth, all that arises from the Śiva principle is pervaded by that one alone, just as pots and other objects are pervaded by clay. That supreme abode of Śiva, to be attained by the six paths, is pervaded by both the pervading and non-pervading power, through the purification of the five tattvas. From Nivṛtti up to Rudra, the purification of the cosmic egg is accomplished by Sthiti; above that, up to the unmanifest domain, by Pratiṣṭhā. Above that, by Vidyā; in the middle, up to Viśveśvara, by Śānti; and above that, at the end of the middle, by Viśuddhi, through Śāntyatītā. This, which is called the supreme space, through union with the supreme nature—these are the five tattvas by which the entire universe is pervaded. There, indeed, all of this must be seen by the seekers; for one who seeks purification without knowing the pervasion of these paths, true attainment remains out of reach.