Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

शिवसंसर्गतस्त्वेष शोध्यात्मैव हि शुध्यति अयस्यग्नौ समाविष्टे दाहो ऽग्नेरेव नायसः

Indeed, it is only the impure self that becomes pure through contact with Shiva, just as when iron is placed in fire, the burning belongs to the fire, not to the iron.

मूर्तात्मन्येवमैश्वर्यमीश्वरस्यैव नात्मनाम् न हि काष्ठं ज्वलत्यूर्ध्वमग्निरेव ज्वलत्यसौ

In the embodied self, sovereignty belongs to the Lord alone, not to the individual selves; for wood does not burn upward, it is the fire that burns.

काष्ठस्यांगारता नाग्नेरेवमत्रापि योज्यताम् अत एव जगत्यस्मिन्काष्ठपाषाणमृत्स्वपि

The state of being charcoal belongs to the wood, not to the fire; in the same way, let this be understood here: in this world, whether in wood, stone, or clay—

शिवावेशवशादेव शिवत्वमुपचर्यते मैत्र्यादयो गुणा गौणास्तस्मात्ते भिन्नवृत्तयः

It is only by the influence of Shiva's presence that the state of being Shiva is attributed; qualities like friendliness are secondary, and thus their functions are distinct.

तैर्गुणैरुपरक्तानां दोषाय च गुणाय च यत्तु गौणमगौणं च तत्सर्वमनुगृह्णतः न गुणाय न दोषाय शिवस्य गुणवृत्तयः

For those imbued with these qualities, they may lead to merit or fault; but whatever is secondary or not, all is accepted by Him—Shiva's qualities are neither for merit nor for fault.

न चानुग्रहशब्दार्थं गौणमाहुर्विपश्चितः संसारमोचनं किं तु शैवमाज्ञामयं हितम्

And the wise do not call the term 'grace' secondary; rather, liberation from worldly existence is the true benefit, which is the command of Shiva and auspicious.

हितं तदाज्ञाकरणं यद्धितं तदनुग्रहः सर्वं हिते नियुञ्जावः सर्वानुग्रहकारकः

That which is done according to His command is beneficial; that benefit is grace. We should engage all in what is beneficial, for He is the cause of universal grace.

यस्तूपकारशब्दार्थस्तमप्याहुरनुग्रहम् तस्यापि हितरूपत्वाच्छिवः सर्वोपकारकः

Even the meaning of the word 'help' is said to be grace, because it too is of the nature of benefit; thus Shiva is the universal benefactor.

हिते सदा नियुक्तं तु सर्वं चिदचिदात्मकम् स्वभावप्रतिबन्धं तत्समं न लभते हितम्

All things, sentient and insentient, are always engaged in what is beneficial; but due to the obstruction of their own nature, they do not equally attain benefit.

यथा विकासयत्येव रविः पद्मानि भानुभिः समं न विकसन्त्येव स्वस्वभावानुरोधतः

Just as the sun causes lotuses to bloom with its rays, yet not all bloom equally, each according to its own nature—