Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

सोमं ससर्ज यज्ञार्थे सोमाद्द्यौस्समजायत धरा च वह्निः सूर्यश्च यज्ञो विष्णुश्शचीपतिः

He created Soma for the sake of sacrifice; from Soma arose the sky, and from the sky, the earth, fire, the sun, the sacrifice, Vishnu, and the lord of Shachi.

ते चान्ये च सुरा रुद्रं रुद्राध्यायेन तुष्टुवुः प्रसन्नवदनस्तस्थौ देवानामग्रतः प्रभुः

They and the other gods praised Rudra with hymns to Rudra; the Lord, with a gracious face, stood before the gods.

अपहृत्य स्वलीलार्थं तेषां ज्ञानं महेश्वरः तमपृच्छंस्ततो देवाः को भवानिति मोहिताः

Taking away their knowledge for his own play, the great Lord bewildered them; then the gods asked him, 'Who are you?'

सो ऽब्रवीद्भगवान्रुद्रो ह्यहमेकः पुरातनः

The blessed Rudra replied: 'I alone am the ancient one.'

भविष्यामि च मत्तोन्यो व्यतिरिक्तो न कश्चन अहमेव जगत्सर्वं तर्पयामि स्वतेजसा

'I will be, and there is no one apart from me; I alone am the entire universe, and I satisfy it with my own radiance.'

मत्तो ऽधिकः समो नास्ति मां यो वेद स मुच्यते इत्युक्त्वा भगवान्रुद्रस्तत्रैवांतरधत्त स अपश्यंतस्तमीशानं स्तुवंतश्चैव सामभिः

'There is none greater or equal to me; whoever knows me is liberated.' Having said this, the blessed Rudra vanished there itself, while they, not seeing the Lord, continued to praise him with hymns.

व्रतं पाशुपतं कृत्वा त्वथर्वशिरसि स्थितम् भस्मसंछन्नसर्वांगा बभूवुरमरास्तदा

Having undertaken the Pāśupata vow, which is established in the Atharvaśiras, the immortals then covered all their limbs with ashes.

अथ तेषां प्रसादार्थं पशूनां पतिरीश्वरः

Then, for the sake of granting them grace, the Lord of beings, the Supreme Lord,

सगणश्चोमया सार्धं सान्निध्यमकरोत्प्रभुः यं विनिद्रा जितश्वासा योगिनो दग्धकिल्बिषाः

Together with his attendants and with Umā, the Lord made his presence manifest—he whom the yogis, free from sin, sleepless, and with controlled breath, perceive in their hearts.

हृदि पश्यंति तं देवं ददृशुर्देवपुंगवाः यामाहुः परमां शक्तिमीश्वरेच्छानुवर्तिनीम्

The foremost of the gods beheld that deity whom yogis see in their hearts, the one called the supreme power, who follows the will of the Lord.