Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

देवो वा दानवो वापि पशुर्वा विहगो ऽपि वा कीरो वाथ कृमिर्वापि मुच्यते तत्प्रसादतः

Whether god, demon, animal, bird, parrot, or even a worm—by that grace, any of these are liberated.

गर्भस्थो जायमानो वा बालो वा तरुणो.पि वा वृद्धो वा म्रियमाणो वा स्वर्गस्थो वाथ नारकी

Whether in the womb, being born, a child, a youth, an old person, one who is dying, dwelling in heaven, or even in hell—

पतितो वापि धर्मात्मा पंडितो मूढ एव वा प्रसादे तत्क्षणादेव मुच्यते नात्र संशयः

Whether fallen, righteous, learned, or ignorant—upon receiving grace, one is instantly liberated; there is no doubt about this.

अयोग्यानां च कारुण्याद्भक्तानां परमेश्वरः प्रसीदति न संदेहो विगृह्य विविधान्मलान्

Out of compassion, the Supreme Lord shows grace even to the unfit devotees, without doubt, removing their various impurities.

प्रसदादेव सा भक्तिः प्रसादो भक्तिसंभवः अवस्थाभेदमुत्प्रेक्ष्य विद्वांस्तत्र न मुह्यति

Devotion arises only from grace, and grace is born of devotion; considering the differences of state, the wise are not confused therein.

प्रसादपूर्विका येयं भुक्तिमुक्तिविधायिनी नैव सा शक्यते प्राप्तुं नरैरेकेन जन्मना

This grace, which bestows both enjoyment and liberation, cannot be attained by humans in a single birth.

अनेकजन्मसिद्धानां श्रौतस्मार्तानुवर्तिनाम् विरक्तानां प्रबुद्धानां प्रसीदति महेश्वरः

The Great Lord is gracious to those perfected through many births, who follow Vedic and Smriti injunctions, who are detached and awakened.

प्रसन्ने सति देवेश पशौ तस्मिन्प्रवर्तते अस्ति नाथो ममेत्यल्पा भक्तिर्बुद्धिपुरस्सरा

When the Lord of gods is gracious, even in the animal, there arises the thought, 'There is a Lord, He is mine,' and a little devotion accompanied by understanding.

तपसा विविधैश्शैवैर्धर्मैस्संयुज्यते नरः तत्र योगे तदभ्यासस्ततो भक्तिः परा भवेत्

Through various Shaiva austerities and righteous acts, a person is united; there, through practice of yoga, supreme devotion arises.

परया च तया भक्त्या प्रसादो लभ्यते परः प्रसादात्सर्वपाशेभ्यो मुक्तिर्मुक्तस्य निर्वृतिः

By that supreme devotion, the highest grace is obtained; from grace comes freedom from all bonds, and for the liberated, perfect peace.

अल्पभावो ऽपि यो मर्त्यस्सो ऽपि जन्मत्रयात्परम् नयोनियंत्रपीडायै भवेन्नैवात्र संशयः

Even a small measure of this, in a mortal, after three births, certainly prevents suffering in lower wombs—of this there is no doubt.

सांगा ऽनंगा च या सेवा सा भक्तिरिति कथ्यते सा पुनर्भिद्यते त्रेधा मनोवाक्कायसाधनैः

Service, whether with or without external elements, is called devotion; it is further divided threefold—by means of mind, speech, and body.

शिवरूपादिचिंता या सा सेवा मानसी स्मृता जपादिर्वाचिकी सेवा कर्मपूजादि कायिकी

Contemplation on the form of Shiva is known as mental service; recitation and the like are verbal service; ritual worship and similar acts are bodily service.

सेयं त्रिसाधना सेवा शिवधर्मश्च कथ्यते स तु पञ्चविधः प्रोक्तः शिवेन परमात्मना

This threefold service is called the practice of Shiva's dharma; but it is said by the Supreme Self, Shiva, to be of five kinds.

तपः कर्म जपो ध्यानं ज्ञानं चेति समासतः कर्मलिङ्गार्चनाद्यं च तपश्चान्द्रायणादिकम्

Austerity, action, recitation, meditation, and knowledge—these are the five in brief; ritual worship and the like are actions, and austerities include observances like Chandrayana.

जपस्त्रिधा शिवाभ्यासश्चिन्ता ध्यानं शिवस्य तु शिवागमोक्तं यज्ज्ञानं तदत्र ज्ञानमुच्यते

Recitation is threefold; practice of Shiva, contemplation is meditation on Shiva; knowledge as taught in the Shiva scriptures is here called knowledge.

श्रीकंठेन शिवेनोक्तं शिवायै च शिवागमः शिवाश्रितानां कारुण्याच्छ्रेयसामेकसाधनम्

This was spoken by Shiva through Shrikantha, and the Shiva scriptures are for Shiva's devotees; out of compassion, they are the sole means to the highest good.

तस्माद्विवर्धयेद्भक्तिं शिवे परमकारणे त्यजेच्च विषयासंगं श्रेयो ऽर्थी मतिमान्नरः

Therefore, a wise person seeking the highest good should increase devotion to Shiva, the supreme cause, and abandon attachment to sense objects.

भगवञ्छ्रोतुमिच्छामि शिवेन परिभाषितम् वेदसारे शिवज्ञानं स्वाश्रितानां विमुक्तये

O Lord, I wish to hear the knowledge of Shiva, as spoken by Shiva himself, which is the essence of the Vedas and grants liberation to those who take refuge in him.

अभक्तानामबुद्धीनामयुक्तानामगोचरम् अर्थैर्दशर्धैः संयुक्तं गूढमप्राज्ञनिंदितम्

It is hidden, joined with tenfold meanings, and censured by the unwise and those lacking devotion or discipline; it is beyond their grasp.

वर्णाश्रमकृतैर्धर्मैर्विपरीतं क्वचित्समम् वेदात्षडंगादुद्धृत्य सांख्याद्योगाच्च कृत्स्नशः

Sometimes it aligns with, and sometimes differs from, the duties prescribed for the classes and stages of life; it is drawn in full from the Vedas and their six limbs, as well as from Sāṃkhya and Yoga.

शतकोटिप्रमाणेन विस्तीर्णं ग्रंथसंख्यया कथितं परमेशेन तत्र पूजा कथं प्रभोः

It has been described by the Supreme Lord in texts numbering a hundred crore, vast in extent; in that, how is the worship of the Lord to be performed?

कस्याधिकारः पूजादौ ज्ञानयोगादयः कथम् तत्सर्वं विस्तरादेव वक्तुमर्हसि सुव्रत

Who is qualified for worship and for the paths of knowledge and yoga at the outset? You, O virtuous one, should explain all this in detail.

शैवं संक्षिप्य वेदोक्तं शिवेन परिभाषितम् स्तुतिनिंदादिरहितं सद्यः प्रत्ययकारणम्

Summarize the Shaiva teaching, as spoken by Shiva and found in the Vedas, free from praise and blame, and immediately effective as a means of conviction.

गुरुप्रसादजं दिव्यमनायासेन मुक्तिदम् कथयिष्ये समासेन तस्य शक्यो न विस्तरः

I shall briefly tell you that divine knowledge, born of the guru’s grace, which grants liberation effortlessly; its full exposition is not possible.

सिसृक्षया पुराव्यक्ताच्छिवः स्थाणुर्महेश्वरः सत्कार्यकारणोपेतस्स्वयमाविरभूत्प्रभुः

Long ago, desiring to create, Shiva, the immovable, the great Lord, endowed with the cause and effect of true existence, manifested himself from the unmanifest.

जनयामास च तदा ऋषिर्विश्वाधिकः प्रभुः देवानां प्रथमं देवं ब्रह्माणं ब्रह्मणस्पतिम्

At that time, the Lord, the sage surpassing all, created the first among the gods, Brahmā, the lord of speech.

ब्रह्मापि पितरं देवं जायमानं न्यवैक्षत तं जायमानं जनको देवः प्रापश्यदाज्ञया

Even Brahmā beheld the divine Father as he was being born; by command, the divine progenitor saw him as he was coming into being.

दृष्टो रुद्रेण देवो ऽसावसृजद्विश्वमीश्वरः वर्णाश्रमव्यवस्थां च चकार स पृथक्पृथक्

The Lord, seen by Rudra, created the universe and established the separate orders and stages of life.