Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

तत्रोक्तः परमो धर्मश्चर्याद्यात्मा चतुर्विधः तेषु पाशुपतो योगः शिवं प्रत्यक्षयेद्दृढम्

There, the supreme Dharma is described, consisting of conduct and the like in four forms; among them, the Pashupata yoga firmly realizes Shiva directly.

तस्माच्छ्रेष्ठमनुष्ठानं योगः पाशुपतो मतः तत्राप्युपायको युक्तो ब्रह्मणा स तु कथ्यते

Therefore, the highest practice is considered to be the Pāśupata yoga; among these, the means that is joined with Brahman is now explained.

नामाष्टकमयो योगश्शिवेन परिकल्पितः तेन योगेन सहसा शैवी प्रज्ञा प्रजायते

Yoga, consisting of eight names, was established by Śiva; through that yoga, Śaiva wisdom arises swiftly.

प्रज्ञया परमं ज्ञानमचिराल्लभते स्थिरम् प्रसीदति शिवस्तस्य यस्य ज्ञानं प्रतिष्ठितम्

By means of wisdom, one quickly attains the highest, steady knowledge; Śiva is pleased with the one whose knowledge is firmly established.

प्रसादात्परमो योगो यः शिवं चापरोक्षयेत् शिवापरोक्षात्संसारकारणेन वियुज्यते

Through his grace, the supreme yoga is that by which one directly perceives Śiva; through the direct perception of Śiva, one is separated from the cause of worldly existence.

ततः स्यान्मुक्तसंसारो मुक्तः शिवसमो भवेत् ब्रह्मप्रोक्त इत्युपायः स एव पृथगुच्यते

Then, one becomes liberated from worldly existence, and, being liberated, becomes equal to Śiva; this means, spoken by Brahmā, is declared separately.

शिवो महेश्वरश्चैव रुद्रो विष्णुः पितामहः संसारवैद्यः सर्वज्ञः परमात्मेति मुख्यतः

Śiva, Maheśvara, Rudra, Viṣṇu, and Pitāmaha—the supreme physician of worldly existence, the all-knower, and the Supreme Self—are the principal names.

नामाष्टकमिदं मुख्यं शिवस्य प्रतिपादकम् आद्यन्तु पञ्चकं ज्ञेयं शान्त्यतीताद्यनुक्रमात्

This eightfold set of names is the primary indicator of Śiva; the first five, beginning with Śāntyatīta, should be known in sequence.

संज्ञा सदाशिवादीनां पञ्चोपाधिपरिग्रहात् उपाधिविनिवृत्तौ तु यथास्वं विनिवर्तते

The designations of Sadāśiva and the others arise from the association with five limiting adjuncts; when these adjuncts cease, each designation withdraws accordingly.

पदमेव हि तन्नित्यमनित्याः पदिनः स्मृताः पदानां प्रतिकृत्तौ तु मुच्यन्ते पदिनो यतः

That state alone is eternal; those possessing states are considered non-eternal. When the states are cut off, those possessing them are liberated.

परिवृत्त्यन्तरे भूयस्तत्पदप्राप्तिरुच्यते आत्मान्तराभिधानं स्याद्यदाद्यं नाम पञ्चकम्

When there is another transformation, the attainment of that state is described; the first five names are said to be alternative appellations of the Self.

अन्यत्तु त्रितयं नाम्नामुपादानादियोगतः त्रिविधोपाधिवचनाच्छिव एवानुवर्तते

But the other three names, due to their connection with material causes and the threefold limiting adjuncts, continue to refer to Śiva alone.

अनादिमलसंश्लेषः प्रागभावात्स्वभावतः अत्यंतं परिशुद्धात्मेत्यतो ऽयं शिव उच्यते

Because of the absence of prior impurity and by its very nature, he is eternally pure; therefore, he is called Śiva.

अथवाशेषकल्याणगुणैकधन ईश्वरः शिव इत्युच्यते सद्भिश्शिवतत्त्वार्थवादिभिः

Or, as the sole possessor of all auspicious qualities without exception, the Lord is called Śiva by the wise who speak of the true nature of Śiva.

त्रयोविंशतितत्त्वेभ्यः प्रकृतिर्हि परा मता प्रकृतेस्तु परं प्राहुः पुरुषं पञ्चविंशकम्

Of the twenty-three principles, Prakṛti is considered supreme; beyond Prakṛti, they declare the twenty-fifth, Puruṣa, to be higher.

यं वेदादौ स्वरं प्राहुर्वाच्यवाचकभावतः वेदैकवेद्ययाथात्म्याद्वेदान्ते च प्रतिष्ठितः

That which, at the beginning of the Veda, is called the sound by virtue of the relation of word and meaning, and which is established at the end of the Veda as the sole true object to be known.

तस्य प्रकृतिलीनस्य यः परस्स महेश्वरः तदधीनप्रवृत्तित्वात्प्रकृतेः पुरुषस्य च

The Supreme Lord is the one who is beyond that which is merged in Prakṛti, since the activity of both Prakṛti and Puruṣa depends on him.

अथवा त्रिगुणं तत्त्वमुपेयमिदमव्ययम् मायान्तु प्रकृतिं विद्यान्मायिनं तु महेश्वरम्

Or, this imperishable principle, composed of the three guṇas, is to be understood; know Prakṛti as Māyā, and the Supreme Lord as the wielder of Māyā.

मायाविक्षोभको ऽनंतो महेश्वरसमन्वयात् कालात्मा परमात्मादिः स्थूलः सूक्ष्मः प्रकीर्तितः

The infinite one who agitates Māyā, in union with the Supreme Lord, is called the self of time, the supreme self, and so forth, both gross and subtle.

रुद्दुःखं दुःखहेतुर्वा तद्रावयति नः प्रभुः रुद्र इत्युच्यते सद्भिः शिवः परमकारणम्

He who removes suffering or is its cause, who brings it forth, is called Rudra by the wise; Shiva is the supreme cause.

तत्त्वादिभूतपर्यन्तं शरीरादिष्वतन्द्रितः व्याप्याधितिष्ठति शिवस्ततो रुद्र इतस्ततः

From the principle to the elements, in bodies and so forth, Shiva pervades and abides tirelessly; thus, he is Rudra here and there.

जगतः पितृभूतानां शिवो मूर्त्यात्मनामपि पितृभावेन सर्वेषां पितामह उदीरितः

Shiva is the father of the world and of those who have taken form; by virtue of fatherhood, he is declared the grandfather of all.

निदानज्ञो यथा वैद्यो रोगस्य विनिवर्तकः उपायैर्भेषजैस्तद्वल्लयभोगाधिकारतः

Just as a physician knows the cause of disease and removes it with remedies, so too, by mastery over enjoyment, he acts likewise.

संसारस्येश्वरो नित्यं समूलस्य निवर्तकः संसारवैद्य इत्युक्तः सर्वतत्त्वार्थवेदिभिः

He is the eternal lord of samsara, the remover of it from its root; those who know all principles call him the physician of samsara.

दशार्थज्ञानसिद्ध्यर्थमिन्द्रियेष्वेषु सत्स्वपि त्रिकालभाविनो भावान्स्थूलान्सूक्ष्मानशेषतः

For the attainment of knowledge of the ten meanings, even when the senses are present, he knows all states—gross and subtle, past, present, and future—completely.

अणवो नैव जानन्ति माययैव मलावृताः असत्स्वपि च सर्वेषु सर्वार्थज्ञानहेतुषु

The atomic souls do not know, being covered by impurity through maya; even when all things are unreal, which are causes of all knowledge, they remain ignorant.

यद्यथावस्थितं वस्तु तत्तथैव सदाशिवः अयत्नेनैव जानाति तस्मात्सर्वज्ञ उच्यते

Sadashiva knows whatever exists as it is, effortlessly; therefore, he is called omniscient.

सर्वात्मा परमैरेभिर्गुणैर्नित्यसमन्वयात् स्वस्मात्परात्मविरहात्परमात्मा शिवः स्वयम्

Shiva, the supreme self, is the soul of all, always united with these highest qualities; because he is free from any higher self, he is himself the supreme self.

नामाष्टकमिदं चैव लब्ध्वाचार्यप्रसादतः निवृत्त्यादिकलाग्रन्थिं शिवाद्यैः पञ्चनामभिः

Having obtained this eightfold name through the grace of the teacher, one should cut the knot of the powers beginning with cessation, with the five names starting from Shiva.