Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

स एकस्सर्वभूतेषु गूढो व्याप्तश्च विश्वतः सर्वभूतांतरात्मा च धर्माध्यक्षस्स कथ्यते

He alone, hidden in all beings, pervades everywhere; he is the inner self of all beings, called the overseer of righteousness.

सर्वभूताधिवासश्च साक्षी चेता च निर्गुणः एको वशी निष्क्रियाणां बहूनां विवशात्मनाम्

He is the abode of all beings, witness, consciousness, without qualities; the one master among many inactive, among many compelled souls.

नित्यानामप्यसौ नित्यश्चेतनानां च चेतनः एको बहूनां चाकामः कामानीशः प्रयच्छति

He is eternal among the eternal, conscious among the conscious; the one, though desireless, grants desires to the many.

सांख्ययोगाधिगम्यं यत्कारणं जगतां पतिम् ज्ञात्वा देवं पशुः पाशैस्सर्वैरेव विमुच्यते

Having realized, through Sāṃkhya and Yoga, that cause who is the Lord of the worlds, and knowing that God, the soul is released from all bonds.

विश्वकृद्विश्ववित्स्वात्मयोनिज्ञः कालकृद्गुणी प्रधानः क्षेत्रज्ञपतिर्गुणेशः पाशमोचकः

He is the creator of the universe, the knower of the universe, self-born, the knower of origins, the maker of time, endowed with qualities, the primordial one, the lord of the field-knower, the lord of qualities, the liberator from bonds.

ब्रह्माणं विदधे पूर्वं वेदांश्चोपादिशत्स्वयम् यो देवस्तमहं बुद्ध्वा स्वात्मबुद्धिप्रसादतः

He who formerly created Brahmā and himself taught the Vedas—having known that God, through the clarity of my own understanding, I have realized him.

मुमुक्षुरस्मात्संसारात्प्रपद्ये शरणं शिवम् निष्फलं निष्क्रियं शांतं निरवद्यं निरंजनम्

Desiring liberation from this cycle of existence, I take refuge in Śiva, who is without fruit, without action, peaceful, faultless, and stainless.

अमृतस्य परं सेतुं दग्धेंधनमिवानिलम् यदा चर्मवदाकाशं वेष्टयिष्यंति मानवाः

He is the supreme bridge to immortality, like wind to burnt fuel; when people try to wrap the sky as with a hide,

तदा शिवमविज्ञाय दुःखस्यांतो भविष्यति

then, without knowing Śiva, the end of suffering will come.

तपःप्रभावाद्देवस्य प्रसादाच्च महर्षयः अत्याश्रमोचितज्ञानं पवित्रं पापनाशनम्

By the power of austerity and the grace of the god, the great sages obtained knowledge beyond the stages of life, pure and destroyer of sin.

वेदांते परमं गुह्यं पुराकल्पप्रचोदितम् ब्रह्मणो वदनाल्लब्धं मयेदं भाग्यगौरवात्

This supreme secret of the Vedānta, taught in ancient times, I have received from the mouth of Brahmā, by the greatness of my fortune.

नाप्रशांताय दातव्यमेतज्ज्ञानमनुत्तमम् न पुत्रायाशुवृत्ताय नाशिष्याय च सर्वथा

This unsurpassed knowledge should not be given to one who is not peaceful, nor to a son of bad conduct, nor ever to an unworthy disciple.

यस्य देवे पराभक्तिर्यथा देवे तथा गुरौ तस्यैते कथिताह्यर्थाः प्रकाशंते महात्मनः

For one who has supreme devotion to God, and just as to God, so to the teacher, to that great soul these meanings become manifest.

अतश्च संक्षेपमिदं शृणुध्वं शिवः परस्तात्प्रकृतेश्च पुंसः स सर्गकाले च करोति सर्वं संहारकाले पुनराददाति

Therefore, hear this summary: Śiva is beyond both nature and soul; at the time of creation he does all, and at the time of dissolution he withdraws all again.

कालादुत्पद्यते सर्वं कालदेव विपद्यते न कालनिरपेक्षं हि क्वचित्किंचन विद्यते

From time everything arises, and by time, O god, everything perishes; for nothing exists anywhere independent of time.

यदास्यांतर्गतं विश्वं शश्वत्संसारमण्डलम् सर्गसंहृतिमुद्राभ्यां चक्रवत्परिवर्तते

When the universe, the eternal cycle of transmigration, is contained within him, by the gestures of creation and dissolution, it revolves like a wheel.

ब्रह्मा हरिश्च रुद्रश्च तथान्ये च सुरासुराः यत्कृतां नियतिं प्राप्य प्रभवो नातिवर्तितुम्

Brahmā, Hari, Rudra, and other gods and demons, having attained the destiny set by him, cannot go beyond their origin.

भूतभव्यभविष्याद्यैर्विभज्य जरयन् प्रजाः अतिप्रभुरिति स्वैरं वर्तते ऽतिभयंकरः

Dividing beings by past, present, and future, he ages the creatures; he is supremely powerful, acts freely, and is exceedingly terrifying.

क एष भगवान् कालः कस्य वा वशवर्त्ययम् क एवास्य वशे न स्यात्कथयैतद्विचक्षण

Who is this blessed Time? Over whom does he rule? And who is not under his control? Tell me this, O wise one.

कालकाष्ठानिमेषादिकलाकलितविग्रहम् कालात्मेति समाख्यातं तेजो माहेश्वरं परम्

He whose form is measured by divisions of time—kāṣṭhā, nimeṣa, and so on—is called Time, the supreme, the radiant power of Maheśvara.

यदलंघ्यमशेषस्य स्थावरस्य चरस्य च नियोगरूपमीशस्य बलं विश्वनियामकम्

That irresistible power of the Lord, which is the form of command, governs all that moves and does not move, and is the force that controls the universe.

तस्यांशांशमयी मुक्तिः कालात्मनि महात्मनि ततो निष्क्रम्य संक्रांता विसृष्टाग्रेरिवायसी

Liberation, composed of portions of that (Supreme), emerges from the great soul who is Time itself, just as a spark flies forth from a blazing fire.

तस्मात्कालवशे विश्वं न स विश्ववशे स्थितः शिवस्य तु वशे कालो न कालस्य वशे शिवः

Therefore, the universe is subject to the power of Time; it does not hold sway over Time. Time is under the control of Shiva, but Shiva is not under the control of Time.

यतो ऽप्रतिहतं शार्वं तेजः काले प्रतिष्ठितम् महती तेन कालस्य मर्यादा हि दुरत्यया

Because the unimpeded energy of Shiva is established in Time, the boundary of Time is indeed difficult to cross.

कालं प्रज्ञाविशेषेण को ऽतिवर्तितुमर्हति कालेन तु कृतं कर्म न कश्चिदतिवर्तते

Who, by any special wisdom, is able to transcend Time? No one can surpass the actions performed by Time.

एकच्छत्रां महीं कृत्स्नां ये पराक्रम्य शासति ते ऽपि नैवातिवर्तंते कालवेलामिवाब्धयः

Even those who, having conquered, rule the entire earth under one umbrella, do not cross the limit of Time, just as the oceans do not cross their shores.

ये निगृह्येंद्रियग्रामं जयंति सकलं जगत् न जयंत्यपि ते कालं कालो जयति तानपि

Those who subdue the group of senses and conquer the whole world, even they do not conquer Time; rather, Time conquers them.

आयुर्वेदविदो वैद्यास्त्वनुष्ठितरसायनाः न मृत्युमतिवर्तंते कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः

Physicians who know the science of life and have practiced rejuvenating treatments do not overcome death, for Time is insurmountable.

श्रिया रूपेण शीलेन बलेन च कुलेन च अन्यच्चिंतयते जंतुः कालो ऽन्यत्कुरुते बलात्

A being may think of prosperity, beauty, character, strength, or noble lineage, but Time, by its own power, brings about something else.