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.
आसन्ने ऽपि च मायायाः परस्मात्कारणात्त्रयम् तत्राप्यात्मा स्थितो ऽधस्तादन्तरात्मा च मध्यतः
Even when close to Māyā, due to a certain threefold cause, there too the self abides below, and the inner self is in the middle.
परस्तात्परमात्मेति ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः वर्तन्ते वसवः केचित्परमात्मपदाश्रयाः
Beyond is the Supreme Self, called the Paramātman; Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara exist there, and some Vasus are established in the state of the Supreme Self.
अन्तरात्मपदे केचित्केचिदात्मपदे तथा शान्त्यतीतपदे शैवाः शान्ते माहेश्वरे ततः
Some dwell in the state of the inner self, others in the state of the self; the Śaivas are in the state beyond peace, and the Māheśvaras are in peace, after that.
विद्यायान्तु यथा रौद्राः प्रतिष्ठायां तु वैष्णवाः निवृत्तौ च तथात्मानो ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मांगयोनयः
In the sphere of knowledge are the Raudras; in the sphere of establishment, the Vaiṣṇavas; in the sphere of withdrawal, the selves, Brahmā, and the progenitors of Brahmā.
देवयोन्यष्टकं मुख्यं मानुष्यमथ मध्यमम् पक्ष्यादयो ऽधमाः पञ्चयोनयस्ताश्चतुर्दश
The eight principal divine births are highest, human birth is considered intermediate, birds and the like are lowest; these five births make fourteen in all.
उत्तराधरभावो ऽपि ज्ञेयस्संसारिणो मलः यथामभावो मुक्तस्य पूर्वं पश्चात्तु पक्वता
The state of being higher or lower is to be understood as the impurity of the transmigrating soul, just as the absence of impurity is for the liberated; first there is unripe, then ripened.
मलो ऽप्यामश्च पक्वश्च भवेत्संसारकारणम् आमे त्वधरता पुंसां पक्वे तूत्तरता क्रमात्
Impurity too is unripe or ripe, and becomes the cause of transmigration; in the unripe, there is lowness among men, in the ripe, there is gradual elevation.
पश्वात्मानस्त्रिधाभिन्ना एकद्वित्रिमलाः क्रमात् अत्रोत्तरा एकमला द्विमला मध्यमा मताः त्रिमलास्त्वधमा ज्ञेया यथोत्तरमधिष्ठिताः
The souls bound as cattle are threefold: with one, two, or three impurities, respectively; among these, those with one impurity are highest, those with two are considered intermediate, those with three are to be known as lowest, each established in order.
त्रिमलानधितिष्ठंति द्विमलैकमलाः क्रमात् इत्थमौपाधिको भेदो विश्वस्य परिकल्पितः
Those with three impurities are ruled by those with two and one impurity, in order; thus, this distinction based on adjuncts is imagined in the universe.
एकद्वित्रिमलान्सर्वाञ्छिव एको ऽधितिष्ठति अशिवात्मकमप्येतच्छिवेनाधिष्ठितं यथा
Śiva alone presides over all those with one, two, or three impurities; even that which is of non-Śiva nature is governed by Śiva, as is proper.