Listen now to the profound mystery of beings and their liberation as set forth in the sacred scripture. All that comes to be arises from the inherent nature of each being. Yet, this nature alone cannot bring about the dissolution of those who act; it is not the sole cause of their perishing. Consider gold and charcoal: when brought near fire, only gold melts, not charcoal. In the same way, it is not mere devotion to Shiva that brings liberation, but the ripening of inner impurities—only those whose impurities are mature are released. Nothing becomes what it is meant to be by itself; everything is shaped by a doer, one who acts with unbroken independence. Shiva, pure by his very essence, bestows grace universally. Those whose nature is still impure are called individual souls, distinct from Shiva. If it were otherwise, all beings would move according to a fixed rule. But how could the wise ever say that Shiva, who is beyond all karma and illusion, is subject to transmigration like ordinary beings? Bondage belongs only to the individual self, not to Shiva. This is because the impurity that binds is inherent to the soul itself, not something imposed from outside. If impurity were external, it would arise from some other cause, but here, the cause is unique, arising from the soul’s own peculiar nature. Though the essence of self is one, some are bound in ignorance and some are liberated. Among the bound, there are further distinctions—some are subject to dissolution and enjoyment, according to their authority. Among all beings, differences arise in knowledge, power, and other qualities; some are higher, some lower. Some attain embodiment, while others remain close to the state of the self. Within the embodied, there are those who are Śivas, established at the highest summits of the spiritual paths; in the middle are the Maheśvaras and Rudras; below them are those in lesser positions. Even when near Māyā, due to a particular threefold cause, the self may abide in a lower state, while the inner self is in the middle. Beyond all these is the Supreme Self, the Paramātman. There dwell Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara, as well as some Vasus, all established in the state of the Supreme Self. Some beings abide in the state of the inner self, others in the state of the self. The Śaivas rest in the state beyond peace, while the Māheśvaras are established in peace that follows. In the sphere of knowledge are the Raudras; in the sphere of establishment, the Vaiṣṇavas; and in the sphere of withdrawal, the selves, Brahmā, and the progenitors of Brahmā. Among births, eight divine are highest, human birth is intermediate, and birds and the like are lowest. These five kinds of birth make up fourteen in all. The distinctions of higher and lower states are due to the impurity of the transmigrating soul, just as the absence of impurity is the mark of the liberated. Impurity itself is unripe at first, then ripens. When unripe, it causes lowly births among humans; when ripened, it leads to gradual elevation. Souls bound like cattle are threefold: some have one impurity, some two, some three. Those with one impurity are highest, those with two are intermediate, and those with three are lowest, each established in their proper order. Those with three impurities are ruled by those with two and one impurity, successively. Thus, this distinction based on adjuncts is imagined throughout the universe. Over all these—those with one, two, or three impurities—Śiva alone presides. Even that which is not of Śiva’s nature is governed by him, as is proper. In this way, Rudras preside over the world, even over those not of Rudra’s nature. From the cosmic egg down to the great earth, hundreds of Rudras and others rule each realm. The region up to Māyā and the intermediate spaces are pervaded in order by the lords of immortals and others, extending from the size of a thumb to the utmost limits. The heavens, ending with Mahāmāyā, are ruled by the lords of worlds like Vāyu and others. Those who dwell at the end of the unsupported, within the spiritual paths, are similarly established. Indeed, these are directly the gods in heaven, those in the intermediate spaces, and those on earth. Thus, the gods are praised by the vows and observances of the gods themselves. By these three impurities—unripe and ripe, each in their own way—the disease of transmigration arises in humans as its cause. The only remedy for this disease is knowledge; there is no other. Śambhu, Śiva, the supreme cause, is the one who prescribes the medicine. Shiva, who is able to liberate beings from bondage without causing any suffering, how could he possibly be the cause of suffering? There should be no doubt about this. Indeed, all of existence is certainly suffering; how could suffering become non-suffering? The essential nature does not change. A sick person does not become healthy merely by the presence of the physician or the medicine; but the physician, using remedies, brings relief to the afflicted. In the same way, Shiva frees beings, who are by nature impure and suffering, from their pain by means of his own knowledge and remedies. The physician is not the cause of disease, nor is Shiva the cause of worldly existence. Even the apparent inequality among beings is not a fault of his. Since suffering is inherent by nature, how could Shiva be its cause? The innate impurity of beings is what causes them to wander in the world. That impurity, which is the cause of worldly existence, is insentient, like Māyā. It does not act on its own, except in the presence of Shiva. Just as iron moves only because of the nearness of a magnet, so too, say the wise, does impurity act only in the presence of Shiva. This proximity, which is the constant cause, cannot be removed. Therefore, Shiva, the ruler, remains ever unknown to the world. Nothing at all happens here without Shiva; all is impelled by him, yet he is never deluded. His power, which is of the nature of command and control, pervades everything. Yet, even so, he is not tainted. He is the Lord, the first to be ruler over all; from his rulership comes his command, yet he remains untouched. Whoever, out of delusion, thinks otherwise is destroyed, being of poor understanding. Yet, even so, because of the greatness of his power, Shiva is never tainted. Then, from the sky, words resounded: "Truth, Om, nectar, gentle"—these words shone forth clearly, affirming the mystery of the Lord and the path to liberation.