तयोः पतित्वात्तु शिवः सदसत्पतिरुच्यते क्षराक्षरात्मकं प्राहुः क्षराक्षरपरं परे
Because he is the lord of both, Shiva is called the master of being and non-being; the wise say he is both perishable and imperishable, and also beyond both.
क्षरस्सर्वाणि भूतानि कूटस्थो ऽक्षर उच्यते उभे ते परमेशस्य रूपे तस्य वशे यतः
All beings are perishable; the imperishable is called the unchanging; both these are forms of the Supreme Lord, for they are under his control.
तयोः परः शिवः शांतः क्षराक्षरापरस्स्मृतः समष्टिव्यष्ठिरूपं च समष्टिव्यष्टिकारणम्
Of these two, Shiva is said to be the supreme, peaceful, and beyond both perishable and imperishable; he is both the collective and the individual, and the cause of both.
वदंति मुनयः केचिच्छिवं परमकारणम् समष्टिमाहुरव्यक्तं व्यष्टिं व्यक्तं तथैव च
Some sages say that Shiva is the supreme cause; they call the collective unmanifest, and the individual manifest as well.
ते रूपे परमेशस्य तदिच्छायाः प्रवर्तनात् तयोः कारणभावेन शिवं परमकारणम्
These two forms of the Supreme Lord arise from his will; because they are causes, Shiva is the supreme cause.
कारणार्थविदः प्राहुः समष्टिव्यष्टिकारणम् जातिव्यक्तिस्वरूपीति कथ्यते कैश्चिदीश्वरः
Those who know the meaning of cause say he is the cause of both the collective and the individual; some call the Lord the essence of class and individual.
या पिंडेप्यनुवर्तेत सा जातिरिति कथ्यते व्यक्तिर्व्यावृत्तिरूपं तं पिण्डजातेः समाश्रयम्
That which persists in the groups is called 'class'; 'individual' is the distinct form, the support of the group and class.
जातयो व्यक्तयश्चैव तदाज्ञापरिपालिताः यतस्ततो महादेवो जातिव्यक्तिवपुः स्मृतः
Classes and individuals are governed by his command; therefore, the great god is remembered as the embodiment of class and individual.
प्रधानपुरुषव्यक्तकालात्मा कथ्यते शिवः प्रधानं प्रकृतिं प्राहुःक्षेत्रज्ञं पुरुषं तथा
Shiva is described as the essence of primordial matter, the person, the manifest, and time; primordial matter is called nature, and the person is likewise known as the knower of the field.
त्रयोविंशतितत्त्वानि व्यक्तमाहुर्मनीषिणः कालः कार्यप्रपञ्चस्य परिणामैककारणम्
The wise declare that the manifest consists of twenty-three principles; time is the sole cause of the transformation of the world of effects.
एषामीशो ऽधिपो धाता प्रवर्तकनिवर्तकः आविर्भावतिरोभावहेतुरेकः स्वराडजः
He is the lord, the ruler, the creator, the initiator and withdrawer; the one cause of appearance and disappearance, self-sovereign and unborn.
तस्मात्प्रधानपुरुषव्यक्तकालस्वरूपवान् हेतुर्नेताधिपस्तेषां धाता चोक्ता महेश्वरः
Therefore, the one who possesses the nature of primordial matter, person, manifest, and time, is declared to be their cause, ruler, and creator—Maheshvara.
विराड्ढिरण्यगर्भात्मा कैश्चिदीशो निगद्यते हिरण्यगर्भो लोकानां हेतुर्विश्वात्मको विराट्
Some call the Lord the cosmic person and the soul of Hiranyagarbha; Hiranyagarbha is the cause of the worlds, and Virat is the soul of the universe.
अंतर्यामी परश्चेति कथ्यते कविभिश्शिवः प्राज्ञस्तैजसविश्वात्मेत्यपरे संप्रचक्षते
The poets speak of Shiva as the inner controller and the transcendent; others call him the soul of intelligence, luminosity, and the universe.
तुरीयमपरे प्राहुः सौम्यमेव परे विदुः माता मानं च मेयं च मतिं चाहुरथापरे
Some declare him to be the fourth state; others know him as gentle; still others call him mother, measure, the measured, and intellect.
कर्ता क्रिया च कार्यं च करणं कारणं परे जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्यात्मेत्यपरे संप्रचक्षते
Some say he is the agent, the action, the object, the instrument, and the cause; others declare him to be the self of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep.
तुरीयमपरे प्राहुस्तुर्यातीतमितीतरे तमाहुर्विगुणं केचिद्गुणवन्तं परे विदुः
Some call him the fourth state, others say he is beyond the fourth; some say he is without qualities, while others know him as possessing qualities.
केचित्संसारिणं प्राहुस्तमसंसारिणं परे स्वतंत्रमपरे प्राहुरस्वतंत्रं परे विदुः
Some say he is bound to transmigration, others say he is not; some declare him independent, while others know him as not independent.
घोरमित्यपरे प्राहुः सौम्यमेव परे विदुः रागवंतं परे प्राहुर्वीतरागं तथा परे
Some declare him to be terrible, others know him as gentle; some say he is attached, while others say he is free from attachment.
निष्क्रियं च परे प्राहुः सक्रियं चेतरे जनाः निरिंद्रियं परे प्राहुः सेंद्रियं च तथापरे
Some say he is inactive, while others declare him active; some say he is without senses, and others likewise say he possesses senses.
ध्रुवमित्यपरे प्राहुस्तमध्रुवामितीरते अरूपं केचिदाहुर्वै रूपवंतं परे विदुः
Some declare him to be constant, others say he is inconstant; some say he is formless, while others know him as possessing form.
अदृश्यमपरे प्राहुर्दृश्यमित्यपरे विदुः वाच्यमित्यपरे प्राहुरवाच्यमिति चापरे शब्दात्मकं परे प्राहुश्शब्दातीतमथापरे
Some say he is invisible, others know him as visible; some declare him expressible, while others say he is inexpressible; some say he is of the nature of sound, and others that he is beyond sound.
केचिच्चिन्तामयं प्राहुश्चिन्तया रहितं परे ज्ञानात्मकं परे प्राहुर्विज्ञानमिति चापरे
Some say he is made of thought, others that he is free from thought; some declare him to be knowledge, and others, consciousness.
केचिच्ज्ञेयमिति प्राहुरज्ञेयमिति केचन परमेके तमेवाहुरपरं च तथा परे
Some say he is knowable, others that he is unknowable; some call him the supreme alone, while others say he is the other.
एवं विकल्प्यमानं तु याथात्म्यं परमेष्ठिनः नाध्यवस्यंति मुनयो नानाप्रत्ययकारणात्
Thus, while being distinguished in various ways, the true nature of the Supreme Lord is not determined by the sages, due to the diversity of their convictions.
ये पुनस्सर्वभावेन प्रपन्नाः परमेश्वरम् ते हि जानंत्ययत्नेन शिवं परमकारणम्
But those who have surrendered to the Supreme Lord with all their being, they indeed know Shiva, the ultimate cause, effortlessly.
तावद्दुःखे वर्तते बद्धपाशः संसारे ऽस्मिञ्चक्रनेमिक्रमेण
Bound by fetters, one remains in suffering within this cycle of existence, moving as the wheel’s rim turns.
तदाविद्वान्पुण्यपापे विधूय निरंजनः परममुपैति साम्यम्
When the ignorant person shakes off virtue and vice, he becomes stainless and attains the highest equality.
नशिवस्याणवो बंधः कार्यो मायेय एव वा प्राकृतो वाथ बोद्धा वा ह्यहंकारात्मकस्तथा
The bondage of the atomic self is not of Shiva; it is only produced by Māyā, or by nature, or by knowledge, and is of the form of ego.
नैवास्य मानसो बंधो न चैत्तो नेंद्रियात्मकः न च तन्मात्रबंधो ऽपि भूतबंधो न कश्चन
There is no mental bondage for him, nor bondage of consciousness, nor of the senses; nor is there bondage by subtle elements, nor by gross elements, not at all.