Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

इत्यादिश्य वयं सर्वे प्रेषिता परमेष्ठिना अस्मिन्देशे महाभाग तवागमनकांक्षिणः

Thus instructed by the supreme lord, we have all been sent to this place, O noble one, eagerly awaiting your arrival.

दीर्घसत्रं समासीना दिव्यवर्षसहस्रकम् अतस्तवागमादन्यत्प्रार्थ्यं नो नास्ति किंचन

Seated in this long sacrifice lasting a thousand divine years, we have no other desire except your coming.

इत्याकर्ण्य पुरावृत्तमृषीणां दीर्घसत्रिणाम् वायुः प्रीतमना भूत्वा तत्रासीन्मुनिसंवृतः

Hearing this account of the ancient event concerning the long-sacrificing sages, Vayu, his mind gladdened, sat there surrounded by the sages.

ततस्तैर्मुनिभिः पृष्टस्तेषां भावविवृद्धये सर्गादि शार्वमैश्वर्यं समासाद वदद्विभुः

Then, questioned by those sages for the growth of their understanding, the mighty one began to speak of the creation and the lordly power of Shiva.

तत्र पूर्वं महाभागा नैमिषारण्यवासिनः प्रणिपत्य यथान्यायं पप्रच्छुः पवनं प्रभुम्

There, at first, the blessed inhabitants of Naimisha forest, having bowed properly, questioned the lord of the wind.

भवान् कथमनुप्राप्तो ज्ञानमीश्वरगोचरम् कथं च शिवभावस्ते ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः

How did you attain the knowledge that pertains to the Lord? And how did you come to possess the nature of Shiva, who is the unmanifest-born of Brahma?

एकोनविंशतिः कल्पो विज्ञेयः श्वेतलोहितः तस्मिन्कल्पे चतुर्वक्त्रस्स्रष्टुकामो ऽतपत्तपः

The nineteenth kalpa is to be known as Shvetalohita; in that kalpa, the four-faced one, desiring to create, performed austerity.

तपसा तेन तीव्रेण तुष्टस्तस्य पिता स्वयम् दिव्यं कौमारमास्थाय रूपं रूपवतां वरः

By his intense austerity, his father himself, the best among those endowed with beauty, was pleased and assumed a divine youthful form.

श्वेतो नाम मुनिर्भूत्वा दिव्यां वाचमुदीरयन् दर्शनं प्रददौ तस्मै देवदेवो महेश्वरः

Becoming the sage named Śveta, he uttered divine speech; the great god Maheśvara, lord of gods, granted him a vision.

तं दृष्ट्वा पितरं ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मणो ऽधिपतिं पतिम् प्रणम्य परमज्ञानं गायत्र्या सह लब्धवान्

Seeing his father, Brahmā, lord and master of creation, he bowed and, together with Gāyatrī, attained supreme knowledge.

ततस्स लब्धविज्ञानो विश्वकर्मा चतुर्मुखः असृजत्सर्वभूतानि स्थावराणि चराणि च

Then Viśvakarman, the four-faced, having obtained knowledge, created all beings, both immovable and moving.

यतश्श्रुत्वामृतं लब्धं ब्रह्मणा परमेश्वरात् ततस्तद्वदनादेव मया लब्धं तपोबलात्

Because the nectar of knowledge was obtained by Brahmā from the Supreme Lord, so too, by the power of my austerity, I received it from his mouth.

किं तज्ज्ञानं त्वया लब्धं तथ्यात्तथ्यंतरं शुभम् यत्र कृत्वा परां निष्ठां पुरुषस्सुखमृच्छति

What is that knowledge which you have obtained—true and truly auspicious—by which, having realized the highest goal, a person attains happiness?

पशुपाशपतिज्ञानं यल्लब्धं तु मया पुरा तत्र निष्ठा परा कार्या पुरुषेण सुखार्थिना

The knowledge of the soul, its bonds, and the Lord, which I obtained in ancient times—upon that supreme foundation a person seeking happiness should firmly stand.

अज्ञानप्रभवं दुःखं ज्ञानेनैव निवर्तते ज्ञानं वस्तुपरिच्छेदो वस्तु च द्विविधं स्मृतम्

Suffering, arising from ignorance, is dispelled only by knowledge; knowledge is the discernment of reality, and reality is said to be of two kinds.

अजडं च जडं चैव नियंतृ च तयोरपि पशुः पाशः पतिश्चेति कथ्यते तत्त्रयं क्रमात्

Both the sentient and the insentient, and the controller of both—these three are called, in order: the soul, the bond, and the Lord.

अक्षरं च क्षरं चैव क्षराक्षरपरं तथा तदेतत्त्रितयं भूम्ना कथ्यते तत्त्ववेदिभिः

The imperishable, the perishable, and that which is beyond both—these three are described in fullness by those who know reality.

अक्षरं पशुरित्युक्तः क्षरं पाश उदाहृतः क्षराक्षरपरं यत्तत्पतिरित्यभिधीयते

The imperishable is called the soul, the perishable is declared to be the bond, and that which is beyond both perishable and imperishable is named the Lord.

किं तदक्षरमित्युक्तं किं च क्षरमुदाहृतम् तयोश्च परमं किं वा तदेतद् ब्रूहि मारुत

What is this imperishable that is spoken of, and what is called the perishable? And what is the highest beyond these two? Tell me this, O Wind-god.

प्रकृतिः क्षरमित्युक्तं पुरुषो ऽक्षर उच्यते ताविमौ प्रेरयत्यन्यस्स परा परमेश्वरः

Prakṛti is said to be the perishable; the soul is called the imperishable. Another, the Supreme Lord, is the highest, who impels both of these.

कैषा प्रकृतिरित्युक्ता क एष पुरुषो मतः अनयोः केन सम्बन्धः कोयं प्रेरक ईश्वरः

What is this prakṛti that is spoken of? Who is considered the soul? By what connection do they relate, and who is this impelling Lord?

माया प्रकृतिरुद्दिष्टा पुरुषो मायया वृतः संबन्धो मूलकर्मभ्यां शिवः प्रेरक ईश्वरः

Māyā is designated as prakṛti; the soul is enveloped by māyā. Their connection is through primordial action; Śiva is the impelling Lord.

केयं माया समा ख्याता किंरूपो मायया वृतः मूलं कीदृक् कुतो वास्य किं शिवत्वं कुतश्शिवः

What is this māyā that is spoken of as equal? What is its nature, and how is one enveloped by māyā? What is its root, and from where does it arise? What is Śivatva, and from where is Śiva?

माया माहेश्वरी शक्तिश्चिद्रूपो मायया वृतः मलश्चिच्छादको नैजो विशुद्धिश्शिवता स्वतः

Māyā is the power of Maheśvara; one enveloped by māyā is of the nature of consciousness. Mala, the innate impurity, veils consciousness; purity is innate Śivatva.

आवृणोति कथं माया व्यापिनं केन हेतुना किमर्थं चावृतिः पुंसः केन वा विनिवर्तते

How does māyā cover the all-pervading one, and for what reason? For what purpose does this covering occur in a person, and by what means is it removed?

आवृतिर्व्यपिनो ऽपि स्याद्व्यापि यस्मात्कलाद्यपि हेतुः कर्मैव भोगार्थं निवर्तेत मलक्षयात्

Even though it is all-pervading, there is concealment, because even for the all-pervading, karma alone—arising from kalā and the rest—serves as the cause for experience, and ceases when impurity is destroyed.

कलादि कथ्यते किं तत्कर्म वा किमुदाहृतम् तत्किमादि किमन्तं वा किं फलं वा किमाश्रयम्

What is called kalā and the rest? What is karma, and how is it described? What is its beginning and end? What is its fruit, and what is its support?

कस्य भोगेन किं भोग्यं किं वा तद्भोगसाधनम् मलक्षयस्य को हेतुः कीदृक् क्षीणमलः पुमान्

By whose experience is what enjoyed, and what is the means for that enjoyment? What is the cause of the destruction of impurity, and what is the nature of a person whose impurity is destroyed?

कला विद्या च रागश्च कालो नियतिरेव च कलादयस्समाख्याता यो भोक्ता पुरुषो भवेत्

Kalā, knowledge, attachment, time, and order—these are known as the kalā and the rest; the experiencer is called the person.