Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

अप्रज्ञाते जगत्यस्मिन्नेक एव महेश्वरः उपास्य रजनीं कृत्स्नां परां माहेश्वरीं ततः

When the world is unperceived, the one supreme lord alone exists, worshipping the entire night, the supreme Māheśvarī.

प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां प्रधानपुरुषावुभौ प्रविश्य क्षोभयामास मायायोगान्महेश्वरः

But when the night has passed, the supreme lord, by the power of illusion, enters both the primary substance and the person and stirs them.

ततः पुनरशेषाणां भूतानां प्रभवाप्ययात् अव्यक्तादभवत्सृष्टिराज्ञया परमेष्ठिनः

Then again, by the command of the supreme lord, creation arises from the unmanifest, and the coming into being and dissolution of all beings takes place.

विश्वोत्तरोत्तरविचित्रमनोरथस्य यस्यैकशक्तिशकले सकलस्समाप्तः आत्मानमध्वपतिमध्वविदो वदंति तस्मै नमः सकललोकविलक्षणाय

Homage to the One who is utterly distinct from all worlds, in whom the entirety of the universe, with all its wondrous and ever greater desires, is fully contained within but a fragment of his single power, whom the knowers of the path call the Lord of the path and the Self.

पुरुषाधिष्ठितात्पूर्वमव्यक्तादीश्वराज्ञया बुद्ध्यादयो विशेषांता विकाराश्चाभवन् क्रमात्

Before the Purusha was established, from the unmanifest, by the command of the Lord, intellect and the other evolutes down to the specific elements, along with their modifications, arose in succession.

ततस्तेभ्यो विकारेभ्यो रुद्रो विष्णुः पितामहः कारणत्वेन सर्वेषां त्रयो देवाः प्रजज्ञिरे

Then, from those modifications, Rudra, Vishnu, and the Grandfather (Brahma) were born as the causes of all things—these three gods.

सर्वतो भुवनव्याप्तिशक्तिमव्याहतां क्वचित् ज्ञानमप्रतिमं शश्वदैश्वर्यं चाणिमादिकम्

He possesses the unobstructed power to pervade all worlds, incomparable knowledge, perpetual lordship, and the supernatural powers such as aṇimā.

सृष्टिस्थितिलयाख्येषु कर्मसु त्रिषु हेतुताम् प्रभुत्वेन सहैतेषां प्रसीदति महेश्वरः

In the three acts known as creation, preservation, and dissolution, Maheshvara, together with his sovereignty, is the cause and bestower of favor to them.

कल्पान्तरे पुनस्तेषामस्पर्धा बुद्धिमोहिनाम् सर्गरक्षालयाचारं प्रत्येकं प्रददौ च सः

At the end of a kalpa, due to their rivalry and confusion of understanding, he assigned to each of them, individually, the conduct of creation, preservation, and dissolution.

एते परस्परोत्पन्ना धारयन्ति परस्परम् परस्परेण वर्धंते परस्परमनुव्रताः

These (three) arise from one another, sustain one another, grow through one another, and are devoted to one another.

क्वचिद्ब्रह्मा क्वचिद्विष्णुः क्वचिद्रुद्रः प्रशस्यते नानेन तेषामाधिक्यमैश्वर्यं चातिरिच्यते

Sometimes Brahma, sometimes Vishnu, sometimes Rudra is praised; by this, neither their superiority nor their lordship is increased.

मूर्खा निंदंति तान्वाग्भिः संरंभाभिनिवेशिनः यातुधाना भवंत्येव पिशाचाश्च न संशयः

Fools, attached to contention, revile them with words; such people become demons and ghosts, without doubt.

देवो गुणत्रयातीतश्चतुर्व्यूहो महेश्वरः सकलस्सकलाधारशक्तेरुत्पत्तिकारणम्

The god Maheshvara, transcending the three qualities, having four emanations, is the foundation of all and the cause of the arising of the power that supports all.

सोयमात्मा त्रयस्यास्य प्रकृतेः पुरुषस्य च लीलाकृतजगत्सृष्टिरीश्वरत्वे व्यवस्थितः

This very Self, who, for the sake of play, has created the world, is established as the Lord over these three—Prakriti, Purusha, and the universe.

यस्सर्वस्मात्परो नित्यो निष्कलः परमेश्वरः स एव च तदाधारस्तदात्मा तदधिष्ठितः

He who is beyond all, eternal, without parts, the Supreme Lord—he alone is the support, the essence, and the ruler of all that.

तस्मान्महेश्वरश्चैव प्रकृतिः पुरुषस्तथा सदाशिवभवो विष्णुर्ब्रह्मा सर्वशिवात्मकम्

Therefore, Maheshvara, as well as Prakriti and Purusha, Sadashiva, Vishnu, and Brahma—all arise from the all-pervading Shiva.

प्रधानात्प्रथमं जज्ञे वृद्धिः ख्यातिर्मतिर्महान् महत्तत्त्वस्य संक्षोभादहंकारस्त्रिधा ऽभवत्

From Pradhana, first arose growth, fame, intellect, and the great principle; from the agitation of the great principle, ego arose in three forms.

अहंकारश्च भूतानि तन्मात्रानींद्रियाणि च वैकारिकादहंकारात्सत्त्वोद्रिक्तात्तु सात्त्विकः

From ego arose the elements, the subtle elements, and the senses; from the ego dominated by sattva, the sāttvika (pure) type is produced.

वैकारिकः स सर्गस्तु युगपत्संप्रवर्तते बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि पञ्चैव पञ्चकर्मेंद्रियाणि च

That sāttvika creation, called vaikārika, arises all at once: the five organs of knowledge and the five organs of action.

एकादशं मनस्तत्र स्वगुणेनोभयात्मकम् तमोयुक्तादहंकाराद्भूततन्मात्रसंभवः

The eleventh is the mind, which, possessing its own quality, is of a dual nature; from the ego associated with tamas, the subtle elements of matter are produced.

भूतानामादिभूतत्वाद्भूतादिः कथ्यते तु सः भूतादेश्शब्दमात्रं स्यात्तत्र चाकाशसंभवः

Because it is the first among the elements, it is called the primary element; from the primary element arises only sound, and from that, space is produced.

आकाशात्स्पर्श उत्पन्नः स्पर्शाद्वायुसमुद्भवः वायो रूपं ततस्तेजस्तेजसो रससंभवः

From space arose touch; from touch, air was produced. From air came form, and from form, fire; from fire, taste was born.

रसादापस्समुत्पन्नास्तेभ्यो गन्धसमुद्भवः गन्धाच्च पृथिवी जाता भूतेभ्योन्यच्चराचरम्

From taste, waters were produced; from them, scent arose. And from scent, earth was born; from the elements, all moving and unmoving beings.

पुरुषाधिष्ठितत्वाच्च अव्यक्तानुग्रहेण च महदादिविशेषान्ता ह्यण्डमुत्पादयन्ति ते

Because of the presence of the Purusha and the favor of the unmanifest, from the Great Principle down to the particular, they produce the cosmic egg.

तत्र कार्यं च करणं संसिद्धं ब्रह्मणो यदा तदंडे सुप्रवृद्धो ऽभूत् क्षेत्रज्ञो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः

When, within that egg, the effect and the instrument of Brahman were perfected, then the knower of the field, called Brahma, grew greatly therein.

स वै शरीरी प्रथमः स वै पुरुष उच्यते आदिकर्ता स भूतानां ब्रह्माग्रे समवर्तत

He, possessing a body, is the first; he is called the Purusha. He is the original creator of beings, and in the beginning, Brahma came into being.

तस्येश्वरस्य प्रतिमा ज्ञानवैराग्यलक्षणा धर्मैश्वर्यकरी बुद्धिर्ब्राह्मी यज्ञे ऽभिमानिनः

The image of that Lord is marked by knowledge and detachment; the intellect, producing virtue and lordship, is Brahmi, for the one who is proud in sacrifice.

अव्यक्ताज्जायते तस्य मनसा यद्यदीप्सितम् वशी विकृत्वात्त्रैगुण्यात्सापेक्षत्वात्स्वभावतः

From the unmanifest, whatever he desires with his mind is born; being the master, he transforms it, due to the three qualities, dependence, and his own nature.

त्रिधा विभज्य चात्मानं त्रैलोक्ये संप्रवर्तते सृजते ग्रसते चैव वीक्षते च त्रिभिस्स्वयम्

Dividing himself threefold, he operates in the three worlds; he creates, devours, and observes, by means of these three, himself.