Restraint, by its very nature, is never to be disregarded by the wise. For this reason, kings are praised when they punish those who deserve it. Such discipline is not born from contempt, but from an understanding of what is required for the welfare of all. The Lord's accomplishment is the complete function of all actions; it is through His exercise of sovereignty that He is truly Lord of the world. Without His governance, how could He claim lordship? The will of the Lord is creative power; His command reigns supreme. He sets forth the order: “This must be done, this must not be done”—this is the rule that guides all. To act in accordance with this rule is the mark of virtue; to act otherwise is not. Yet, not all conduct in the world follows this pattern. That which is virtuous should be protected; that which is not should be turned away. If persuasion fails, punishment becomes necessary. This discipline, culminating in punishment, is defined by its aim for benefit; anything contrary is deemed harmful. Those who are always established in what is beneficial are examples of the Lord Himself. How, then, can the virtuous be blamed when they restrain only the wicked? In this world, those who act improperly and without discernment are censured; whatever disturbs others is considered improper. Restraint in the world is not born from hatred. Just as a father does not hate his son when he restrains and teaches him, so too is discipline motivated by care, not animosity. Even one who is neutral must restrain others when necessary; though in doing so, some harshness inevitably arises. Otherwise, he does not harm others, even if they are at fault; but if, out of ignorance, he practices neutrality, he does harm. Therefore, inflicting suffering without compassion is debated: some declare it is always forbidden, others say it is not. For example, when a physician, knowing the cause, harms a patient in treatment, there is no cruelty—his motivation is compassion. Yet, even compassion is not always a virtue toward those who are harmful; in such cases, mistaken compassion becomes unfeeling. Neglect is also a fault when one has the power to protect. By neglecting, the one who should be protected is endangered. If, seeing a snake approach, someone neglects to protect another, considering only apparent faults, he too is unfeeling in the outcome. Thus, compassion is not always a virtue; only what achieves the desired aim is accepted as virtuous, all else is not. Within embodied beings, faults like passion truly exist, but these belong only to them—never to Śiva. Just as copper, even when placed in fire, remains distinct for a time, fire is not defiled by contact with copper; it is copper that takes on impurity, not fire. Yet, by union with fire, even what is impure becomes pure; so too, by contact with the pure self, Śiva never becomes impure. Indeed, only the impure self becomes pure through contact with Śiva, just as iron placed in fire is burned by the fire, not by the iron itself. In the embodied self, sovereignty belongs to the Lord alone, not to individual selves; for wood does not burn upward, it is the fire that burns. The state of being charcoal belongs to the wood, not to the fire. In this world, whether in wood, stone, or clay, it is only by the influence of Śiva’s presence that the state of being Śiva is attributed. Qualities like friendliness are secondary, and their functions are distinct. For those imbued with these qualities, they may lead to merit or fault; but whatever is secondary, all is accepted by Him—Śiva’s qualities are neither for merit nor for fault. And the wise do not call the term ‘grace’ secondary; rather, liberation from worldly existence is the true benefit, which is the command of Śiva and auspicious. That which is done according to His command is beneficial; that benefit is grace. We should engage all in what is beneficial, for He is the cause of universal grace. Even the meaning of the word ‘help’ is said to be grace, because it too is of the nature of benefit; thus Śiva is the universal benefactor. All things, sentient and insentient, are always engaged in what is beneficial; but due to the obstruction of their own nature, they do not equally attain benefit. Just as the sun causes lotuses to bloom with its rays, yet not all bloom equally—each according to its own nature. The inherent nature of beings is the cause of what comes to be; but that nature cannot produce a perishing result in those who act. Only gold, not charcoal, is melted by contact with fire; in the same way, only those whose impurities are matured are liberated, not merely those devoted to Śiva. Whatever is fit to become something does not become so on its own, but only through the agency of a doer who is continuously independent. Just as Śiva, pure by nature, is the universal bestower of grace, so those whose nature is impure are called individual souls. Otherwise, these beings would wander according to rule; but how could Śiva, bound by karma and illusion, be said by the wise to transmigrate? This bondage belongs only to the individual self, not to Śiva; the impurity is inherent to the self, not adventitious. If it were adventitious, it would arise from some cause; but this cause is unique, due to its own peculiar nature. Even though the essence of self is the same, some are bound and some are liberated; among the bound, some again, due to the authority of dissolution and enjoyment. Some beings possess differences in knowledge, power, and so forth, being higher or lower; some attain the state of embodiment, others remain within the range of what is near. Among those who are embodied, some are Śivas established at the summits of the paths; in the middle are the Maheśvaras and Rudras; those situated in the lower positions are below. Thus, the nature of restraint, virtue, compassion, and grace is woven into the fabric of existence, guided by the supreme Lord, Śiva, whose pure nature bestows benefit and liberation, while the individual souls, shaped by their own inherent qualities, journey through the varied states of being.