Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

सर्वैश्वर्येण संपन्नो नाम्ना सर्वेश्वरः स्वयम् सर्वैर्मुमुक्षुभिर्ध्येयश्शंभुराकाशमध्यगः

Endowed with all lordship, called by the name 'Lord of All,' he is to be meditated upon by all seekers of liberation—Shambhu, dwelling in the midst of space.

यो ऽग्रे मां विदधे पुत्रं ज्ञानं च प्रहिणोति मे तत्प्रसादान्मयालब्धं प्राजापत्यमिदं पदम्

He who formerly created me, his son, and grants me knowledge—by his grace I have attained this position of Prajapati.

ईशो वृक्ष इव स्तब्धो य एको दिवि तिष्ठति येनेदमखिलं पूर्णं पुरुषेण महात्मना

The Lord, unmoving like a tree, stands alone in the sky; by whom this entire universe is filled, by the great-souled Person.

एको बहूनां जंतूनां निष्क्रियाणां च सक्रियः य एको बहुधा बीजं करोति स महेश्वरः

He alone, among the many beings, is active among the inactive; he alone, in many forms, becomes the seed—he is the great Lord.

य एको भागवान्रुद्रो न द्वितीयो ऽस्ति कश्चन

He alone is the blessed Rudra; there is no second at all.

सदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टो ऽपि यः परैः अलक्ष्यो लक्षयन्विश्वमधितिष्ठति सर्वदा

Though always dwelling in the hearts of people, he is not perceived by others; perceiving all, he ever abides in the universe.

यस्तु कालात्प्रमुक्तानि कारणान्यखिलान्यपि अनन्तशक्तिरेवैको भगवानधितिष्ठति

He alone, the Lord of infinite power, remains, even when all causes, released from time, have ceased.

न यस्य दिवसो रात्रिर्न समानो न चाधिकः स्वभाविकी पराशक्तिर्नित्या ज्ञानक्रिये अपि

For whom there is neither day nor night, neither equal nor greater; whose supreme power is natural, eternal, knowledge and action as well.

यदिदं क्षरमव्यक्तं यदप्यमृतमक्षरम् तावुभावक्षरात्मानावेको देवः स्वयं हरः

That which is perishable and unmanifest, and that which is immortal and imperishable—both these, whose essence is imperishable, are the one god Hara himself.

ईशते तदभिध्यानाद्योजनासत्त्वभावनः भूयो ह्यस्य पशोरन्ते विश्वमाया निवर्तते

He who, by meditation on that, becomes established in its reality—at the end of bondage, for him, the illusion of the universe ceases.

यस्मिन्न भासते विद्युन्न सूर्यो न च चन्द्रमाः यस्य भासा विभातीदमित्येषा शाश्वती श्रुतिः

In whom neither lightning shines, nor the sun, nor the moon; by whose light all this shines—this is the eternal teaching.

एको देवो महादेवो विज्ञेयस्तु महेश्वरः न तस्य परमं किंचित्पदं समधिगम्यते

The one god, the great god, is to be known as the great Lord; no supreme state of his can be attained.

अयमादिरनाद्यन्तस्स्वभावादेव निर्मलः स्वतन्त्रः परिपूर्णश्च स्वेच्छाधीनश्चराचरः

He is the beginning, without beginning or end, pure by his own nature, independent, completely full, and moving and unmoving at his own will.

अप्राकृतवपुः श्रीमांल्लक्ष्यलक्षणवर्जितः अयं मुक्तो मोचकश्च ह्यकालः कालचोदकः

With a form beyond nature, glorious, free from marks and characteristics—he is liberated and the liberator, timeless, and the impeller of time.

सर्वोपरिकृतावासस्सर्वावासश्च सर्ववित् षड्विधाध्वमयस्यास्य सर्वस्य जगतः पतिः

Dwelling beyond all, yet present in all, all-knowing; of sixfold time, he is the lord of all this world.

उत्तरोत्तरभूतानामुत्तरश्च निरुत्तरः अनन्तानन्तसन्दोहमकरंदमधुव्रतः

He is the highest among higher beings, and beyond the highest; he is the endless meeting of the infinite and the finite, the honeybee at the nectar of the unending lotus.

अखंडजगदंडानां पिंडीकरणपंडितः औदार्यवीर्यगांभीर्यमाधुर्यमकरालयः

He is the wise one who fuses the unbroken cosmic eggs into a single mass; he is the abode of generosity, heroism, depth, sweetness, and awe.

नैवास्य सदृशं वस्तु नाधिकं चापि किंचन अतुलः सर्वभूतानां राजराजश्च तिष्ठति

There is nothing equal to him, nor anything greater; he stands incomparable among all beings, the king of kings.

अनेन चित्रकृत्येन प्रथमं सृज्यते जगत् अंतकाले पुनश्चेदं तस्मिन्प्रलयमेष्यते

By his wondrous act, the world is first created; and at the end of time, this same world will dissolve into him.

अस्य भूतानि वश्यानि अयं सर्वनियोजकः अयं तु परया भक्त्या दृश्यते नान्यथा क्वचित्

All beings are under his control; he directs all; yet he is seen only through supreme devotion, never otherwise, anywhere.

व्रतानि सर्वदानानि तपांसि नियमास्तथा कथितानि पुरा सद्भिर्भावार्थं नात्र संशयः

Vows, all gifts, austerities, and disciplines—these were declared by the wise of old for the sake of inner meaning; there is no doubt of this.

हरिश्चाहं च रुद्रश्च तथान्ये च सुरासुराः तपोभिरुग्रैरद्यापि तस्य दर्शनकांक्षिणः

Hari, I, Rudra, and other gods and demons—even now, with fierce austerities, we long for a vision of him.

अदृश्यः पतितैर्मूढैर्दुर्जनैरपि कुत्सितैः भक्तैरन्तर्बहिश्चापि पूज्यः संभाष्य एव च

He is unseen by the fallen, the deluded, and the wicked, even the contemptible; but by devotees, both within and without, he is to be worshiped and addressed.

तदिदं त्रिविधं रूपं स्थूलं सूक्ष्मं ततः परम् अस्मदाद्यमरैर्दृश्यं स्थूलं सूक्ष्मं तु योगिभिः

This threefold form—gross, subtle, and supreme—the gross is seen by us and the immortals; the subtle, by yogis.

ततः परं तु यन्नित्यं ज्ञानमानंदमव्ययम् तन्निष्ठैस्तत्परैर्भक्तैर्दृश्यं तद्व्रतमाश्रितैः

But that which is supreme, eternal, knowledge, bliss, and imperishable, is seen by those devoted to it, established in that vow.

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं परम् शिवे भक्तिर्न सन्देहस्तया युक्तो विमुच्यते

Why say much more? The highest secret of secrets is this: there is no doubt that devotion to Shiva, when practiced, brings liberation.

प्रसादादेव सा भक्तिः प्रसादो भक्तिसंभवः यथा चांकुरतो बीजं बीजतो वा यथांकुरः

That devotion arises only from grace, and grace is born of devotion—just as a sprout comes from a seed, and a seed from a sprout.

प्रसादपूर्विका एव पशोस्सर्वत्र सिद्धयः स एव साधनैरन्ते सर्वैरपि च साध्यते

All attainments for the soul everywhere are preceded by grace; and by all means, in the end, it is achieved only through grace.

प्रसादसाधनं धर्मस्स च वेदेन दर्शितः तदभ्यासवशात्साम्यं पूर्वयोः पुण्यपापयोः

The means to grace is dharma, as shown by the Veda; through its practice, there comes balance between merit and demerit.