Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

कश्चित्क्षीणपदो भूत्वा पुनरावर्त्य मुच्यते कश्चिदध्वगतस्तस्मिन् स्थित्वास्थित्वा विमुच्यते

Some, having exhausted their allotted state, are liberated after returning again; another, having reached a certain path, is liberated after remaining there for a time.

तस्मान्नैकप्रकारेण नराणां मुक्तिरिष्यते ज्ञानभावानुरूपेण प्रसादेनैव निर्वृतिः

Therefore, liberation for people is not considered to occur in a single manner; fulfillment comes only through grace, in accordance with the state of knowledge and disposition.

तस्मादस्य प्रसादार्थं वाङ्मनोदोषवर्जिताः ध्यायंतश्शिवमेवैकं सदारतनयाग्नयः

Therefore, for the sake of that grace, always meditating solely on Shiva—free from faults of speech, mind, and body—together with wives, sons, and sacred fires.

तन्निष्ठास्तत्परास्सर्वे तद्युक्तास्तदुपाश्रयाः सर्वक्रियाः प्रकुर्वाणास्तमेव मनसागताः

All of them, steadfast in him, devoted to him, united with him, and taking refuge in him, perform all actions with their minds fixed on him alone.

दीर्घसूत्रसमारब्धं दिव्यवर्षसहस्रकम् सत्रांते मंत्रयोगेन वायुस्तत्र गमिष्यति

At the end of a sacrificial session begun with a long ritual, lasting a thousand divine years, the vital breath will depart there through the power of mantra and yoga.

स एव भवतः श्रेयः सोपायं कथयिष्यति ततो वाराणसी पुण्या पुरी परमशोभना

He himself will tell you the means to your highest good; then, the holy and supremely beautiful city of Varanasi must be reached.

गंतव्या यत्र विश्वेशो देव्या सह पिनाकधृक् सदा विहरति श्रीमान् भक्तानुग्रहकारणात्

There, where the Lord of All, bearing the bow Pinaka, always dwells with the Goddess, for the sake of bestowing grace upon devotees.

तत्राश्चर्यं महद्दृष्ट्वा मत्समीपं गमिष्यथ ततो वः कथयिष्यामि मोक्षोपाय द्विजोत्तमाः

Having seen the great wonder there, you will come to me; then I shall tell you, O best of twice-born, the means to liberation.

येनैकजन्मना मुक्तिर्युष्मत्करतले स्थिता अनेकजन्मसंसारबंधनिर्मोक्षकारिणी

By which, with a single birth, liberation will be in your grasp—bringing release from the bonds of many births in worldly existence.

एतन्मनोमयं चक्रं मया सृष्टं विसृज्यते यत्रास्य शीर्यते नेमिः स देशस्तपसश्शुभः

This mental wheel, created by me, is being set forth; where its rim is destroyed, that place is auspicious for austerity.

इत्युक्त्वा सूर्यसंकाशं चक्रं दृष्ट्वा मनोमयम् प्रणिपत्य महादेवं विससर्ज पितामहः

Having spoken thus, and seeing the mental wheel shining like the sun, the Grandfather, after bowing to Mahadeva, released it.

ते ऽपि हृष्टतरा विप्राः प्रणम्य जगतां प्रभुम् प्रययुस्तस्य चक्रस्य यत्र नेमिरशीर्यत

Those delighted sages, having bowed to the Lord of the worlds, went to the place where the rim of his discus had fallen.

चक्रं तदपि संक्षिप्तं श्लक्ष्णं चारुशिलातले विमलस्वादुपानीये निजपात वने क्वचित्

That discus, compact and smooth, lay upon a beautiful stone surface, pure and with sweet water nearby, having fallen in a certain forest.

तद्वनं तेन विख्यातं नैमिषं मुनिपूजितम् अनेकयक्षगंधर्वविद्याधरसमाकुलम्

That forest became renowned as Naimisha, honored by sages, thronged with countless yakshas, gandharvas, and vidyadharas.

अष्टादश समुद्रस्य द्वीपानश्नन्पुरूरवाः विलासवशमुर्वश्या यातो दैवेन चोदितः

Pururavas, driven by fate and captivated by Urvashi's charms, traversed the islands of the eighteenfold ocean.

अक्रमेण हरन्मोहाद्यज्ञवाटं हिरण्मयम् मुनिभिर्यत्र संक्रुद्धैः कुशवज्रैर्निपातितः

There, in a fit of delusion, he unlawfully seized the golden sacrificial enclosure, which the enraged sages struck down with blades of sacred grass as thunderbolts.

विश्वं सिसृक्षमाणा वै यत्र विश्वसृजः पुरा सत्रमारेभिरे दिव्यं ब्रह्मज्ञा गार्हपत्यगाः

There, in ancient times, the creators of the worlds, desiring to bring forth the universe, began a divine sacrificial session, the knowers of Brahman tending the sacred fire.

ऋषिभिर्यत्र विद्वद्भिः शब्दार्थन्यायकोविदैः शक्तिप्रज्ञाक्रियायोगैर्विधिरासीदनुष्ठितः

There, the wise seers, skilled in the meanings of words and logic, performed the rites with power, knowledge, and disciplined action.

यत्र वेदविदो नित्यं वेदवादबहिष्कृतान् वादजल्पबलैर्घ्नंति वचोभिरतिवादिनः

There, those learned in the Vedas always vanquish, with arguments and words, the disputants who are excluded from Vedic doctrine and rely on mere sophistry.

स्फटिकमयमहीभृत्पादजाभ्यश्शिलाभ्यः प्रसरदमृतकल्पस्स्वच्छपानीयरम्यम् अतिरसफलवृक्षप्रायमव्यालसत्त्वं तपस उचितमासीन्नैमिषं तन्मुनीनाम्

From the crystal-like stones at the foot of the mountain flowed water as pure as nectar, delightful to drink, with abundant fruitful trees, free from wild beasts—Naimisha was truly fit for the sages' austerities.

तस्मिन्देशे महाभागा मुनयश्शंसितव्रताः अर्चयंतो महादेवं सत्रमारेभिरे तदा

In that land, the noble sages of firm vows began a sacrificial session, worshipping the great god.

विश्वं सिसृक्षमाणानां पुरा विश्वसृजामिव

Just as, in ancient times, the creators of the worlds sought to bring forth the universe.

अथ काले गते सत्रे समाप्ते भूरिदक्षिणे पितामहनियोगेन वायुस्तत्रागमत्स्वयम्

Then, when the sacrificial session had ended and abundant gifts had been given, by the command of the Grandfather, Vayu himself arrived there.

शिष्यस्स्वयंभुवो देवस्सर्वप्रत्यक्षदृग्वशी आज्ञायां मरुतो यस्य संस्थितास्सप्तसप्तकाः

He is the disciple of the self-born god, who perceives all directly; at his command, the Maruts, grouped in sevens, are established.

प्रेरयञ्छश्वदंगानि प्राणाद्याभिः स्ववृत्तिभिः सर्वभूतशरीराणां कुरुते यश्च धारणम्

He sets in motion the limbs and vital airs of all beings by their respective functions, and sustains the bodies of all creatures.

अणिमादिभिरष्टाभिरैश्वर्यैश्च समन्वितः तिर्यक्कालादिभिर्मेध्यैर्भुवनानि बिभर्ति यः

Endowed with the eight powers beginning with animā and with lordly might, he upholds the worlds through pure means, transcending time and direction.

आकाशयोनिर्द्विगुणः स्पर्शशब्दसमन्वयात् तेजसां प्रकृतिश्चेति यमाहुस्तत्त्वचिंतकाः

He is said by those who contemplate reality to be born of space, possessing a double nature, pervaded by touch and sound, and the source of fire.

तमाश्रमगतं दृष्ट्वा मुनयो दीर्घसत्रिणः पितामहवचः स्मृत्वा प्रहर्षमतुलं ययुः

Seeing him arrive at the hermitage, the sages engaged in the long sacrifice, recalling the Grandfather's words, experienced incomparable joy.

अभ्युत्थाय ततस्सर्वे प्रणम्यांबरसंभवम् चामीकरमयं तस्मै विष्टरं समकल्पयन्

All of them rose up, bowed to him who was born of the sky, and prepared for him a golden seat.