Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

बिभ्रद्वेत्रलतां हैमीं रत्नचित्रं च कंचुकम् छुरिकामुरगप्रख्यां गणेशो रक्षवेषधृक्

Ganesha, in the guise of a guard, holding a golden staff, a gem-studded tunic, and a dagger resembling a serpent, stood there.

यस्मात्सोमो महादेवो नन्दी चानेन नन्दितः सोमनन्दीति विख्यातस्तस्मादेष समाख्यया

Because Soma, the great god, and Nandi were both gladdened by him, he became known by the name Somanandi.

इत्थं देव्याः प्रियं कृत्वा देवश्चर्धेन्दुभूषणः भूषयामास तन्दिव्यैर्भूषणै रत्नभूषितैः

Thus, having pleased the goddess, the god adorned with the crescent moon decorated him with divine ornaments studded with jewels.

ततस्स गौरीं गिरिशो गिरीन्द्रजां सगौरवां सर्वमनोहरां हरः पर्यंकमारोप्य वरांगभूषणैर्विभूषयामास शशांकभूषणः

Then Hara, the moon-crested one, with great respect, seated Gauri, the daughter of the mountain, who enchants all, on a couch and adorned her with the finest ornaments.

देवीं समादधानेन देवेनेदं किमीरितम् अग्निषोमात्मकं विश्वं वागर्थात्मकमित्यपि

As the goddess was being honored by the god, this was said: 'The universe is of the nature of Agni and Soma, and also of speech and meaning.'

आज्ञैकसारमैश्वर्यमाज्ञा त्वमिति चोदितम् तदिदं श्रोतुमिच्छामो यथावदनुपूर्वशः

'Sovereignty consists solely in command; you are that command,' it was said. We wish to hear this properly and in order.

अग्निरित्युच्यते रौद्री घोरा या तैजसी तनुः सोमः शाक्तो ऽमृतमयः शक्तेः शान्तिकरी तनुः

Agni is called Raudri, the fierce and fiery form; Soma is Shakti, immortal, the form of Shakti that brings peace.

अमृतं यत्प्रतिष्ठा सा तेजो विद्या कला स्वयम् भूतसूक्ष्मेषु सर्वेषु त एव रसतेजसी

That which is immortal is the foundation; it is light, knowledge, and art itself. In all subtle elements, these two—essence and energy—pervade.

द्विविधा तेजसो वृत्तिसूर्यात्मा चानलात्मिका तथैव रसवृत्तिश्च सोमात्मा च जलात्मिका

The activity of energy is twofold: one is solar, fiery in nature; likewise, the activity of essence is lunar, watery in nature.

विद्युदादिमयन्तेजो मधुरादिमयो रसः तेजोरसविभेदैस्तु धृतमेतच्चराचरम्

Energy consists of lightning and the like; essence consists of sweetness and the like. By these divisions of energy and essence, all that moves and does not move is sustained.

अग्नेरमृतनिष्पत्तिरमृतेनाग्निरेधते अत एव हि विक्रान्तमग्नीषोमं जगद्धितम्

From Agni arises the immortal; by the immortal, Agni is strengthened. Thus, the Agni-Soma principle, powerful, benefits the world.

हविषे सस्यसम्पत्तिर्वृष्टिः सस्याभिवृद्धये वृष्टेरेव हविस्तस्मादग्नीषोमधृतं जगत्

The prosperity of crops comes from offerings; rain is for the growth of crops. Offerings are for rain; thus, the world is sustained by Agni and Soma.

अग्निरूर्ध्वं ज्वलत्येष यावत्सौम्यं परामृतम् यावदग्न्यास्पदं सौम्यममृतं च स्रवत्यधः

Agni blazes upward as far as the lunar nectar; as far as Agni’s place, the lunar nectar flows downward.

अत एव हि कालाग्निरधस्ताच्छक्तिरूर्ध्वतः यावदादहनं चोर्ध्वमधश्चाप्लावनं भवेत्

Therefore, the fire of time is below, and Shakti is above; as long as burning is above and flooding is below.

आधारशक्त्यैव धृतः कालाग्निरयमूर्ध्वगः तथैव निम्नगः सोमश्शिवशक्तिपदास्पदः

This upward-moving fire of time is sustained by the supporting Shakti; likewise, the downward-moving Soma is the seat of Shiva and Shakti.

शिवश्चोर्ध्वमधश्शक्तिरूर्ध्वं शक्तिरधः शिवः तदित्थं शिवशक्तिभ्यान्नाव्याप्तमिह किञ्चन

Shiva is above, Shakti is below; Shakti is above, Shiva is below. In this way, there is nothing here that is not pervaded by Shiva and Shakti.

असकृच्चाग्निना दग्धं जगद्यद्भस्मसात्कृतम् अग्नेर्वीर्यमिदं चाहुस्तद्वीर्यं भस्म यत्ततः

They say that the power of fire is such that, having burned the world repeatedly, it has reduced it to ashes; thus, the potency of fire is in that ash.

यश्चेत्थं भस्मसद्भावं ज्ञात्वा स्नाति च भस्मना अग्निरित्यादिभिर्मन्त्रैर्बद्धः पाशात्प्रमुच्यते

Whoever, knowing thus the true nature of ash, bathes with it, reciting mantras beginning with 'Agni', is released from bondage.

अग्नेर्वीर्यं तु यद्भस्म सोमेनाप्लावितम्पुनः अयोगयुक्त्या प्रकृतेरधिकाराय कल्पते

The ash, which is the power of fire, when again bathed with Soma, by the method of non-union, becomes fit for the authority of nature.

योगयुक्त्या तु तद्भस्म प्लाव्यमानं समन्ततः शाक्तेनामृतवर्षेण चाधिकारान्निवर्तयेत्

But when that ash is bathed everywhere by the method of union, with the nectar-rain of Shakti, it removes the authority (of nature).

अतो मृत्युंजयायेत्थममृतप्लावनं सदा शिवशक्त्यमृतस्पर्शे लब्धं येन कुतो मृतिः

Therefore, by always bathing with nectar in this way, one becomes a conqueror of death; having touched the nectar of Shiva and Shakti, how can there be death?

यो वेद दहनं गुह्यं प्लावनं च यथोदितम् अग्नीषोमपदं हित्वा न स भूयो ऽभिजायते

He who knows the secret burning and the bathing as described, abandoning the state of Agni and Soma, is not born again.

शिवाग्निना तनुं दग्ध्वा शक्तिसौम्या मृतेन यः प्लावयेद्योगमार्गेण सो ऽमृतत्वाय कल्पते

He who burns the body with the fire of Shiva and bathes it with the nectar of Shakti by the path of yoga becomes fit for immortality.

हृदि कृत्वेममर्थं वै देवेन समुदाहृतम् अग्नीषोमात्मकं विश्वं जगदित्यनुरूपतः

Having placed in the heart this meaning spoken by the god, that the whole universe is of the nature of Agni and Soma, accordingly.

निवेदयामि जगतो वागर्थात्म्यं कृतं यथा षडध्ववेदनं सम्यक् समासान्न तु विस्तरात्

I will explain how the essence of speech and meaning in the world has been established, and the knowledge of the sixfold path, briefly and not in detail.

नास्ति कश्चिदशब्दार्थो नापि शब्दो निरर्थकः ततो हि समये शब्दस्सर्वस्सर्वार्थबोधकः

There is no object without sound, nor is there any sound without meaning; therefore, at the right time, every sound conveys all meanings.

प्रकृतेः परिणामो ऽयं द्विधा शब्दार्थभावना तामाहुः प्राकृतीं मूर्तिं शिवयोः परमात्मनोः

This transformation of nature is twofold: the manifestation of sound and meaning. This is called the primal form of Shiva and Shakti, the supreme selves.

शब्दात्मिका विभूतिर्या सा त्रिधा कथ्यते बुधैः स्थूला सूक्ष्मा परा चेति स्थूला या श्रुतिगोचरा

That power which is of the nature of sound is described by the wise as threefold: gross, subtle, and supreme. The gross is that which is perceived by hearing.

सूक्ष्मा चिन्तामयी प्रोक्ता चिंतया रहिता परा या शक्तिः सा परा शक्तिश्शिवतत्त्वसमाश्रया

The subtle is said to be composed of thought; the supreme is without thought. That power is the supreme power, resting in the principle of Shiva.