Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

अरुद्रात्मकमित्येवं रुद्रैर्जगदधिष्ठितम् अण्डान्ता हि महाभूमिश्शतरुद्राद्यधिष्ठिता

Thus, the world is presided over by Rudras, even those of non-Rudra nature; from the cosmic egg down to the great earth, each is ruled by hundreds of Rudras and others.

मायान्तमन्तरिक्षं तु ह्यमरेशादिभिः क्रमात् अंगुष्ठमात्रपर्यन्तैस्समंतात्संततं ततम्

The region up to Māyā and the intermediate space are pervaded in order by the lords of immortals and others, extending from the size of a thumb to the utmost limits.

महामायावसाना द्यौर्वाय्वाद्यैर्भुवनाधिपैः अनाश्रितान्तैरध्वान्तर्वर्तिभिस्समधिष्ठिताः

The heavens, ending with Mahāmāyā, are presided over by the lords of worlds such as Vāyu and others; those who dwell at the end of the unsupported, within the paths, are similarly established.

ते हि साक्षाद्दिविषदस्त्वन्तरिक्षसदस्तथा पृथिवीपद इत्येवं देवा देवव्रतैः स्तुता

Indeed, they are directly the gods in heaven, likewise those in the intermediate space, and those on earth; thus, the gods are praised by the vows of the gods.

एवन्त्रिभिर्मलैरामैः पक्वैरेव पृथक्पृथक् निदानभूतैस्संसाररोगः पुंसां प्रवर्तते

Thus, by these three impurities, unripe and ripe, separately, the disease of transmigration arises in men as its cause.

अस्य रोगस्य भैषज्यं ज्ञानमेव न चापरम् भिषगाज्ञापकः शम्भुश्शिवः परमकारणम्

The only remedy for this disease is knowledge; there is no other. Śambhu, Śiva, the supreme cause, is the one who prescribes the medicine.

अदुःखेना ऽपि शक्तो ऽसौ पशून्मोचयितुं शिवः कथं दुःखं करोतीति नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Shiva, who is able to liberate beings from bondage without any suffering, how could he cause suffering? There should be no doubt about this.

दुःखमेव हि सर्वो ऽपि संसार इति निश्चितम् कथं दुःखमदुःखं स्यात्स्वभावो ह्यविपर्ययः

Indeed, all of existence is certainly suffering; how could suffering become non-suffering? For the essential nature does not change.

न हि रोगी ह्यरोगी स्याद्भिषग्भैषज्यकारणात् रोगार्तं तु भिषग्रोगाद्भैषजैस्सुखमुद्धरेत्

A sick person does not become healthy merely because of the physician or medicine; but the physician, using remedies, brings relief to the one afflicted with disease.

एवं स्वभावमलिनान्स्वभावाद्दुःखिनः पशून् स्वाज्ञौषधविधानेन दुःखान्मोचयते शिवः

In the same way, Shiva frees beings, who are by nature impure and suffering, from their suffering by means of his own knowledge and remedies.

न भिषक्कारणं रोगे शिवः संसारकारणम् इत्येतदपि वैषम्यं न दोषायास्य कल्पते

The physician is not the cause of disease, nor is Shiva the cause of worldly existence; even this apparent inequality is not a fault of his.

दुःखे स्वभावसंसिद्धे कथन्तत्कारणं शिवः स्वाभाविको मलः पुंसां स हि संसारयत्यमून्

Since suffering is inherent by nature, how could Shiva be its cause? The innate impurity of beings is what causes them to wander in worldly existence.

संसारकारणं यत्तु मलं मायाद्यचेतनम् तत्स्वयं न प्रवर्तेत शिवसान्निध्यमन्तरा

That impurity, which is the cause of worldly existence, is insentient, like Māyā; it does not act on its own, except in the presence of Shiva.

यथा मणिरयस्कांतस्सान्निध्यादुपकारकः अयसश्चलतस्तद्वच्छिवो ऽप्यस्येति सूरयः

Just as iron moves because of the proximity of a magnet, so too, the wise say, does this impurity act only in the presence of Shiva.

न निवर्तयितुं शक्यं सान्निध्यं सदकारणम् अधिष्ठाता ततो नित्यमज्ञातो जगतश्शिवः

This proximity, which is the constant cause, cannot be removed; therefore, Shiva, the ruler, remains ever unknown to the world.

न शिवेन विना किंचित्प्रवृत्तमिह विद्यते तत्प्रेरितमिदं सर्वं तथापि न स मुह्यति

Nothing at all occurs here without Shiva; all this is impelled by him, yet he is not deluded.

शक्तिराज्ञात्मिका तस्य नियन्त्री विश्वतोमुखी तया ततमिदं शश्वत्तथापि स न दुष्यति

His power, which is of the nature of command and controls all, pervades everything; yet even so, he is not tainted.

अनिदं प्रथमं सर्वमीशितव्यं स ईश्वरः ईशनाच्च तदीयाज्ञा तथापि स न दुष्यति

He is the Lord, the first to be ruled over all; from his rulership comes his command, yet even so, he is not tainted.

यो ऽन्यथा मन्यते मोहात्स विनष्यति दुर्मतिः तच्छक्तिवैभवादेव तथापि स न दुष्यति

Whoever, out of delusion, thinks otherwise is destroyed, being of poor understanding; yet even so, because of the greatness of his power, he is not tainted.

एतस्मिन्नंतरे व्योम्नः श्रुताः वागरीरिणी सत्यमोममृतं सौम्यमित्याविरभवत्स्फुटम्

Meanwhile, from the sky were heard the words: 'Truth, Om, nectar, gentle'—these clearly manifested.