Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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—

स्वभावो ऽपि हि भावानां भाविनो ऽर्थस्य कारणम् न हि स्वभावो नश्यन्तमर्थं कर्तृषु साधयेत्

For the inherent nature of beings is the cause of what comes to be; but that nature cannot produce a perishing result in those who act.

सुवर्णमेव नांगारं द्रावयत्यग्निसंगमः एवं पक्वमलानेव मोचयेन्न शिवपरान्

Only gold, not charcoal, is melted by contact with fire; in the same way, only those whose impurities are matured are liberated, not those devoted to Shiva.

यद्यथा भवितुं योग्यं तत्तथा न भवेत्स्वयम् विना भावनया कर्ता स्वतन्त्रस्सन्ततो भवेत्

Whatever is fit to become something does not become so on its own, but only through the agency of a doer who is continuously independent.

स्वभावविमलो यद्वत्सर्वानुग्राहकश्शिवः स्वभावमलिनास्तद्वदात्मनो जीवसंज्ञिताः

Just as Shiva, pure by nature, is the universal bestower of grace, so too those whose nature is impure are called individual souls.

अन्यथा संसरन्त्येते नियमान्न शिवः कथम् कर्ममायानुबन्धोस्य संसारः कथ्यते बुधैः

Otherwise, these beings would wander according to rule; but how could Shiva, bound by karma and illusion, be said by the wise to transmigrate?

अनुबन्धो ऽयमस्यैव न शिवस्येति हेतुमान् स हेतुरात्मनामेव निजो नागन्तुको मलः

This bondage belongs only to the individual self, not to Shiva; the reason is that the impurity is inherent to the self, not adventitious.

आगन्तुकत्वे कस्यापि भाव्यं केनापि हेतुना यो ऽयं हेतुरसावेकस्त्वविचित्रस्वभावतः

If it were adventitious, it would arise from some cause; but this cause is unique, due to its own peculiar nature.

आत्मतायाः समत्वे ऽपि बद्धा मुक्ताः परे यतः बद्धेष्वेव पुनः केचिल्लयभोगाधिकारतः

Even though the essence of self is the same, some are bound and some are liberated; among the bound, some again, due to the authority of dissolution and enjoyment.

ज्ञानैश्वर्यादिवैषम्यं भजन्ते सोत्तराधराः केचिन्मूर्त्यात्मतां यान्ति केचिदासन्नगोचराः

Some beings possess differences in knowledge, power, and so forth, being higher or lower; some attain the state of embodiment; others remain within the range of what is near.

मूर्त्यात्मसु शिवाः केचिदध्वनां मूर्धसु स्थिताः मध्ये महेश्वरा रुद्रास्त्वर्वाचीनपदे स्थिताः

Among those who are embodied, some are Śivas established at the summits of the paths; in the middle are the Maheśvaras and Rudras; those situated in the lower positions are below.