Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

तामपश्यन्महेशस्य वामतो वामलोचनाम् ये विनिर्धूतसंसाराः प्राप्ताः शैवं परं पदम्

Those who have cast off worldly existence and attained the supreme Śaiva state saw her, the left-eyed one of Maheśa, standing to his left.

नित्यसिद्धाश्च ये वान्यं ते च दृष्टा गणेश्वराः अथ तं तुष्टुवुर्देवा देव्या सह महेश्वरम्

And those who are ever-perfect, as well as the lords of the gaṇas, saw her too. Then, together with the goddess, the gods praised Maheśvara.

स्तोत्रैर्माहेश्वरैर्दिव्यैः श्रोतैः पौराणिकैरपि देवो ऽपि देवानालोक्य घृणया वृषभध्वजः

With divine hymns dedicated to Maheśvara, and with ancient Purāṇic chants, the gods praised him; and seeing the gods, the Bull-bannered Lord was moved with compassion.

तुष्टो ऽस्मीत्याह सुप्रीतस्स्वभावमधुरां गिरम् अथ सुप्रीतमनसं प्रणिपत्य वृषध्वजम् अर्थमहत्तमं देवाः पप्रच्छुरिममादरात्

He said, 'I am pleased,' speaking words naturally sweet. Then, with minds full of joy, the gods bowed to the Bull-bannered Lord and respectfully asked him this most important question:

भगवन्केन मार्गेण पूजनीयो ऽसि भूतले कस्याधिकारः पूजायां वक्तुमर्हसि तत्त्वतः

"O Lord, by which path should you be worshipped on earth? Who is entitled to your worship? Please tell us the truth of this."

ततः सस्मितमालोक्य देवीं देववरोहरः स्वरूपं दर्शयामास घोरं सूर्यात्मकं परम्

Then Hara, the best of gods, gazing with a smile at the goddess, revealed his own form—terrible, solar, and supreme.

सर्वैश्वर्यगुणोपेतं सर्वतेजोमयं परम् शक्तिभिर्मूर्तिभिश्चांगैर्ग्रहैर्देवैश्च संवृतम्

Endowed with all lordly qualities, filled with supreme radiance, surrounded by powers, forms, limbs, planets, and gods,

अष्टबाहुं चतुर्वक्त्रमर्धनारीकमद्भुतम् दृष्ट्वैवमद्भुताकारं देवा विष्णुपुरोगमाः

With eight arms, four faces, and a wondrous half-female form—seeing such a marvelous appearance, the gods, led by Viṣṇu,

बुद्ध्वा दिवाकरं देवं देवीं चैव निशाकरम् पञ्चभूतानि शेषाणि तन्मयं च चराचरम्

Understood the god as the sun, the goddess as the moon, and that the five elements and all that moves and does not move are composed of them.

एवमुक्त्वा नमश्चक्रुस्तस्मै चार्घ्यं प्रदाय वै

Having spoken thus, they bowed to him and offered arghya.