Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

शक्तिपातसमायोगादृते तत्त्वानि तत्त्वतः तद्व्याप्तिस्तद्विवृद्धिश्च ज्ञातुमेवं न शक्यते

Without the conjunction of the descent of power, it is not possible to know the tattvas in their true nature, nor their pervasion and increase.

शक्तिराज्ञा परा शैवी चिद्रूपा मरमेश्वरी शिवो ऽधितिष्ठत्यखिलं यया कारणभूतया

The supreme power, the queen of energies, is of the nature of consciousness, the sovereign of the heart; by her, who is the cause, Shiva pervades all.

नात्मनो नैव मायैषा न विकारो विचारतः न बंधो नापि मुक्तिश्च बंधमुक्तिविधायिनी

This is neither the self nor Māyā, nor, upon reflection, any modification; it is neither bondage nor liberation, though it brings about both bondage and liberation.

सर्वैश्वर्यपराकाष्टा शिवस्य व्यभिचारिणी समानधर्मिणी तस्य तैस्तैर्भावैर्विशेषतः

She, reaching the highest peak of all lordship, is the companion of Shiva, sharing his nature, yet distinguished by various states.

स तयैव गृही सापि तेनैव गृहिणी सदा तयोरपत्यं यत्कार्यं परप्रकृतिजं जगत्

He is grasped by her alone, and she is ever held by him; their offspring, the world, arises as the effect born of their supreme union.

स कर्ता कारणं सेति तयोर्भेदो व्यवस्थितः एक एव शिवः साक्षाद्द्विधा ऽसौ समवस्थितः

He is the doer, she is the cause—thus their distinction is established; yet Shiva alone, manifestly, stands as both in dual form.

स्त्रीपुंसभावेन तयोर्भेद इत्यपि केचन अपरे तु परा शक्तिः शिवस्य समवायिनी

Some say their distinction is as female and male; others, however, hold that the supreme power is inherent in Shiva.

प्रभेव भानोश्चिद्रूपा भिन्नैवेति व्यवस्थितः तस्माच्छिवः परो हेतुस्तस्याज्ञा परमेश्वरी

Like the radiance of the sun, she is of the nature of consciousness, yet distinct—thus it is determined; therefore, Shiva is the supreme cause, and his command is the highest sovereign.

तयैव प्रेरिता शैवी मूलप्रकृतिरव्यया महामाया च माया च प्रकृतिस्त्रिगुणेति च

Impelled by her alone, the Shaiva primal nature, imperishable, becomes the great Māyā, Māyā itself, and the threefold nature called Prakṛti.

त्रिविधा कार्यवेधेन सा प्रसूते षडध्वनः स वागर्थमयश्चाध्वा षड्विधो निखिलं जगत्

By means of threefold effects, she produces the sixfold paths; and the entire world, consisting of six kinds, is made of word and meaning.

अस्यैव विस्तरं प्राहुः शास्त्रजातमशेषतः

The scriptures declare in detail the full expanse of this alone.

चरितानि विचित्राणि गृह्याणि गहनानि च दुर्विज्ञेयानि देवैश्च मोहयंति मनांसि नः

The wondrous and profound deeds, difficult even for the gods to comprehend, bewilder our minds.

शिवयोस्तत्त्वसम्बन्धे न दोष उपलभ्यते चरितैः प्राकृतो भावस्तयोरपि विभाव्यते

In the essential union of Shiva and his power, no fault is found; through their deeds, even ordinary states are manifested.

ब्रह्मादयो ऽपि लोकानां सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तहेतवः निग्रहानुग्रहौ प्राप्य शिवस्य वशवर्तिनः

Even Brahmā and the others, who are the causes of creation, maintenance, and dissolution of worlds, are subject to Shiva's will in both restraint and grace.

शिवः पुनर्न कस्यापि निग्रहानुग्रहास्पदम् अतो ऽनायत्तमैश्वर्यं तस्यैवेति विनिश्चितम्

But Shiva himself is not the seat of restraint or grace for anyone; thus, his sovereignty is entirely independent—this is certain.

यद्येवमीदृशैश्वर्यं तत्तु स्वातन्त्र्यलक्षणम् स्वभावसिद्धं चैतस्य मूर्तिमत्तास्पदं भवेत्

If such is his sovereignty, it is characterized by absolute freedom; this, being his own nature, may have embodiment as its abode.

न मूर्तिश्च स्वतंत्रस्य घटते मूलहेतुना मूर्तेरपि च कार्यत्वात्तत्सिद्धिः स्यादहैतुकी

But form does not pertain to one who is absolutely free, for form arises from a fundamental cause; and since form is itself an effect, its existence would be causeless.

सर्वत्र परमो भावो ऽपरमश्चान्य उच्यते परमापरमौ भावौ कथमेकत्र संगतौ

Everywhere, the supreme state is spoken of, and another, the non-supreme; how can the supreme and non-supreme states come together in one?

निष्फलो हि स्वभावो ऽस्य परमः परमात्मनः स एव सकलः कस्मात्स्वभावो ह्यविपर्ययः

For the supreme nature of the Supreme Self is fruitless; why, then, does the entire manifest nature exist? For its nature is unchanging.

स्वभावो विपरीतश्चेत्स्वतंत्रः स्वेच्छया यदि न करोति किमीशानो नित्यानित्यविपर्ययम्

If the inherent nature is contrary, and the Lord is independent, then why does He not, by His own will, create the confusion between the eternal and the non-eternal?

मूर्तात्मा सकलः कश्चित्स चान्यो निष्फलः शिवः शिवेनाधिष्ठितश्चेति सर्वत्र लघु कथ्यते

It is commonly said everywhere that one is the embodied, the complete, and another is Shiva, fruitless, established by Shiva Himself.

मूर्त्यात्मैव तदा मूर्तिः शिवस्यास्य भवेदिति तस्य मूर्तौ मूर्तिमतोः पारतंत्र्यं हि निश्चितम्

At that time, the embodiment itself becomes the form of this Shiva; thus, in the form, dependence between the embodied and the form is certain.

अन्यथा निरपेक्षेण मूर्तिः स्वीक्रियते कथम् मूर्तिस्वीकरणं तस्मान्मूर्तौ साध्यफलेप्सया

Otherwise, how could the form be accepted without any consideration? Therefore, the acceptance of form is for the sake of attaining a desired result.

न हि स्वेच्छाशरीरत्वं स्वातंत्र्यायोपपद्यते स्वेच्छैव तादृशी पुंसां यस्मात्कर्मानुसारिणी

Indeed, embodiment by one's own will does not accord with independence, for such will in people always follows action.

स्वीकर्तुं स्वेच्छया देहं हातुं च प्रभवन्त्युत ब्रह्मादयः पिशाचांताः किं ते कर्मातिवर्तिनः

Brahma and others, down to the spirits, are indeed able to assume and abandon bodies at will; but do they transcend action?

इच्छया देहनिर्माणमिन्द्रजालोपमं विदुः अणिमादिगुणैश्वर्यवशीकारानतिक्रमात्

They know that the creation of a body by will is like an illusion, because mastery over powers such as minuteness does not surpass their control.

विश्वरूपं दधद्विष्णुर्दधीचेन महर्षिणा युध्यता समुपालब्धस्तद्रूपं दधता स्वयम्

Vishnu, assuming the form of the universe, was observed by the great sage Dadhichi, who himself took on that form while engaged in battle.

सर्वस्मादधिकस्यापि शिवस्य परमात्मनः शरीरवत्तयान्यात्मसाधर्म्यं प्रतिभाति नः

Even for Shiva, the Supreme Self, who is superior to all, embodiment appears to us as similarity with other selves.

सर्वानुग्राहकं प्राहुश्शिवं परमकारणम् स निर्गृह्णाति देवानां सर्वानुग्राहकः कथम्

They declare Shiva to be the supreme cause, the universal benefactor; but how does He, who grants favor to all, restrain the gods?