He who is established in wisdom does not harm others, even if they are at fault. Yet, if he acts with indifference out of ignorance, he inadvertently causes harm. Thus, there is a debate: some declare that to inflict suffering without compassion is always forbidden, while others say that, in certain circumstances, it is not. For example, when a physician, understanding the cause of illness, brings pain to a patient in the course of treatment, this act is not cruel; it is, in fact, motivated by compassion. However, compassion is not always a virtue when directed toward those who are themselves harmful. In such cases, misplaced compassion becomes a form of heartlessness, for neglecting to act when one has the power to protect is also a fault. If one who could protect neglects their duty, the one who should be protected is immediately put in danger. Should a person see a snake approaching and, considering only minor faults, neglect to protect another, he too becomes, in effect, unfeeling. Therefore, it is not accepted that compassion is always a virtue; only that which achieves the true aim is virtuous—nothing else. In embodied beings, faults such as passion truly exist, but these belong to the individual soul and never to Śiva, just as copper, even when placed in fire, remains distinct for a time. The fire itself is not tainted by contact with copper; it is the copper that takes on impurity from what is impure, not the fire. Yet, by union with fire, even what is impure becomes pure. In the same way, by contact with the pure self, Śiva, there can never be impurity in Him. Rather, it is only the impure self that becomes pure through contact with Śiva, just as iron, when placed in fire, takes on the burning quality from the fire, not from itself. In the embodied self, sovereignty belongs to the Lord alone, not to the individual selves; just as wood does not burn upward by itself, but only by the presence of fire. The state of being charcoal belongs to the wood, not to the fire. In this world, whether it is 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 or not, all is accepted by Him—Śiva’s qualities are neither for merit nor for fault. 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 truly beneficial; that benefit is grace. We should engage all beings 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 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 all attain benefit equally. Just as the sun causes lotuses to bloom with its rays, yet not all bloom equally—each according to its own nature—so too is it with beings. 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 do 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; for the impurity is inherent to the self, not something that comes from outside. If it were adventitious, it would arise from some other 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; and among the bound, there are further distinctions due to the authority of dissolution and enjoyment. Some beings possess differences in knowledge, power, and so on—some higher, some lower; some attain embodiment, others remain near the source. Among those who are embodied, some are Śivas established at the summits of the paths; in the middle are the Maheśvaras and Rudras, and those in lower positions are beneath them. Even when close to Māyā, due to a certain threefold cause, the self abides below, the inner self in the middle. Beyond is the Supreme Self, called the Paramātman; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara exist there, and some Vasus are established in the state of the Supreme Self. Some dwell in the state of the inner self, others in the state of the self; the Śaivas are in the state beyond peace, and the Māheśvaras are in peace, after that. In the sphere of knowledge are the Raudras; in the sphere of establishment, the Vaiṣṇavas; in the sphere of withdrawal, the selves, Brahmā, and the progenitors of Brahmā. There are eight principal divine births, which are the highest; human birth is considered intermediate, and birds and the like are the lowest. These five births make fourteen in all. The state of being higher or lower is to be understood as the impurity of the transmigrating soul, just as the absence of impurity is for the liberated. First, impurity is unripe, then it becomes ripened. Impurity, too, is unripe or ripe, and becomes the cause of transmigration; in the unripe, there is lowness among men, in the ripe, there is gradual elevation. The souls bound as cattle are threefold: with one, two, or three impurities, respectively. Among these, those with one impurity are highest, those with two are intermediate, and those with three are lowest, each established in order. Those with three impurities are ruled by those with two and one impurity, in turn. Thus, this distinction based on adjuncts is imagined in the universe. Śiva alone presides over all those with one, two, or three impurities; even that which is of non-Śiva nature is governed by Śiva, as is proper.