Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

लिंगादावपि तत्कृत्यमर्चायां च विशेषतः तत्तन्मूर्त्यात्मभावेन शिवो ऽस्माभिरुपास्यते

Even in the liṅga and other images, and especially in worship, Shiva is to be approached by us in the state of that particular form-essence.

यथानुगृह्यते सो ऽपि मूर्त्यात्मा पारमेष्ठिना तथा मूर्त्यात्मनिष्ठेन शिवेन पशवो वयम्

Just as he, the form-essence, is favored by the Supreme Lord, so too are we creatures favored by Shiva, who is established in the form-essence.

लोकानुग्रहणायैव शिवेन परमेष्ठिना सदाशिवादयस्सर्वे मूर्त्यात्मनो ऽप्यधिष्ठिताः

For the welfare of the worlds alone, all—from Sadāśiva onward—are always established by the Supreme Lord Shiva even in the form-essence.

आत्मनामेव भोगाय मोक्षाय च विशेषतः तत्त्वातत्त्वस्वरूपेषु मूर्त्यात्मसु शिवान्वयः

For the sake of enjoyment and especially for liberation of souls, the connection of Shiva with the form-essence exists in the realities and non-realities.

भोगः कर्मविपाकात्मा सुखदुःखात्मको मतः न च कर्म शिवो ऽस्तीति तस्य भोगः किमात्मकः

Enjoyment is understood as the result of karma, consisting of pleasure and pain; but since Shiva has no karma, what kind of enjoyment could he have?

सर्वं शिवो ऽनुगृह्णाति न निगृह्णाति किंचन निगृह्णतां तु ये दोषाश्शिवे तेषामसंभवात्

Shiva grants everything and withholds nothing; for those who withhold, faults arise, but such faults cannot exist in Shiva.

ये पुनर्निग्रहाः केचिद्ब्रह्मादिषु निदर्शिताः ते ऽपि लोकहितायैव कृताः श्रीकण्ठमूर्तिना

And whatever acts of restraint are shown in Brahma and others, those too are done by Shiva in the form of Śrīkaṇṭha, only for the good of the world.

ब्रह्माण्डस्याधिपत्यं हि श्रीकण्ठस्य न संशयः श्रीकण्ठाख्यां शिवो मूर्तिं क्रीडतीमधितिष्ठति

There is no doubt that the lordship of the universe belongs to Śrīkaṇṭha; Shiva presides over the playful form known as Śrīkaṇṭha.

सदोषा एव देवाद्या निगृहीता यथोदितम् ततस्तेपि विपाप्मानः प्रजाश्चापि गतज्वराः

The gods and others who are restrained are indeed those with faults, as described; thus, they become purified of sin, and the people too are freed from distress.

निग्रहो ऽपि स्वरूपेण विदुषां न जुगुप्सितः अत एव हि दण्ड्येषु दण्डो राज्ञां प्रशस्यते

Even restraint, by its very nature, is not to be despised by the wise; for this reason, punishment of the punishable is praised among kings.

यत्सिद्धिरीश्वरत्वेन कार्यवर्गस्य कृत्स्नशः न स चेदीशतां कुर्याज्जगतः कथमीश्वरः

That accomplishment which, as Lord, is the complete function of all works—if he did not exercise lordship over the world, how could he be its Lord?

ईशेच्छा च विधातृत्वं विधेराज्ञापनं परम् आज्ञावश्यमिदं कुर्यान्न कुर्यादिति शासनम्

The will of the Lord is creative power; the command of the Creator is supreme. His order is: 'This must be done, this must not be done'—that is the rule.

तच्छासनानुवर्तित्वं साधुभावस्य लक्षणम् विपरीतसमाधोः स्यान्न सर्वं तत्तु दृश्यते

To act in accordance with that rule is the mark of virtue; if one acts contrary, it is not so. Yet, not all conduct is seen to be thus.

साधु संरक्षणीयं चेद्विनिवर्त्यमसाधु यत् निवर्तते च सामादेरंते दण्डो हि साधनम्

If something is virtuous, it should be protected; if it is not, it should be turned away. When persuasion fails, punishment is the means.

हितार्थलक्षणं चेदं दण्डान्तमनुशासनम् अतो यद्विपरीतं तदहितं संप्रचक्षते

This discipline, ending in punishment, is defined by the aim of benefit; therefore, whatever is contrary to this is called harmful.

हिते सदा निषण्णानामीश्वरस्य निदर्शनम् स कथं दुष्यते सद्भिरसतामेव निग्रहात्

Those who are always established in what is beneficial are an example of the Lord. How, then, can the virtuous be blamed, when they restrain only the wicked?

अयुक्तकारिणो लोके गर्हणीयाविवेकिता यदुद्वेजयते लोकन्तदयुक्तं प्रचक्षते

In the world, those who act improperly and without discernment are to be censured; whatever disturbs people is called improper.

सर्वो ऽपि निग्रहो लोके न च विद्वेषपूर्वकः न हि द्वेष्टि पिता पुत्रं यो निगृह्याति शिक्षयेत्

All restraint in the world is not born of hatred; for a father does not hate his son when he restrains and teaches him.

माध्यस्थेनापि निग्राह्यान्यो निगृह्णाति मार्गतः तस्याप्यवश्यं यत्किंचिन्नैर्घृण्यमनुवर्तते

Even one who is neutral must restrain others when necessary; yet, in doing so, some degree of harshness inevitably follows.

अन्यथा न हिनस्त्येव सदोषानप्यसौ परान् हिनस्ति चायमप्यज्ञान्परं माध्यस्थ्यमाचरन्

Otherwise, he does not harm others, even if they are at fault; but if, out of ignorance, he practices neutrality, he does harm.

तस्माद्दुःखात्मिकां हिंसां कुर्वाणो यः सनिर्घृणः इति निर्बंधयंत्येके नियमो नेति चापरे

Therefore, one who inflicts suffering without compassion—some declare this is always forbidden, while others say it is not.

निदानज्ञस्य भिषजो रुग्णो हिंसां प्रयुंजतः न किंचिदपि नैर्घृण्यं घृणैवात्र प्रयोजिका

When a physician, knowing the cause, harms a patient in treatment, there is no cruelty at all; it is compassion that motivates him.

घृणापि न गुणायैव हिंस्रेषु प्रतियोगिषु तादृशेषु घृणी भ्रान्त्या घृणान्तरितनिर्घृणः

Even compassion is not always a virtue toward those who are harmful; in such cases, one who is compassionate by mistake becomes, in effect, unfeeling.

उपेक्षापीह दोषाह रक्ष्येषु प्रतियोगिषु शक्तौ सत्यामुपेक्षातो रक्ष्यस्सद्यो विपद्यते

Neglect is also a fault here, when one has the power to protect; by neglecting, the one who should be protected is immediately endangered.

सर्पस्या ऽ ऽस्यगतम्पश्यन्यस्तु रक्ष्यमुपेक्षते दोषाभासान्समुत्प्रेक्ष्य फलतः सो ऽपि निर्घृणः

If, seeing a snake approaching, someone neglects to protect, considering only apparent faults, he too is unfeeling in the outcome.

तस्माद् घृणा गुणायैव सर्वथेति न संमतम् संमतं प्राप्तकामित्वं सर्वं त्वन्यदसम्मतम्

Therefore, it is not accepted that compassion is always a virtue; only what achieves the desired aim is accepted, all else is not.

मूर्त्यात्मस्वपि रागाद्या दोषाः सन्त्येव वस्तुतः तथापि तेषामेवैते न शिवस्य तु सर्वथा अग्नावपि समाविष्टं ताम्रं खलु सकालिकम्

Even in embodied beings, faults like passion truly exist; yet, these belong only to them, never to Śiva in any way—just as copper, even when placed in fire, remains distinct for a time.

इति नाग्निरसौ दुष्येत्ताम्रसंसर्गकारणात् नाग्नेरशुचिसंसर्गादशुचित्वमपेक्षते

Thus, fire is not defiled by contact with copper; it is copper that takes on impurity from contact with what is impure, not fire.

अशुचेस्त्वग्निसंयोगाच्छुचित्वमपि जायते एवं शोध्यात्मसंसर्गान्न ह्यशुद्धः शिवो भवेत्

Yet, by union with fire, even what is impure becomes pure; so too, by contact with the pure self, Śiva can never become impure.