Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

केन वश्यो महादेवो मर्त्यानां मंदचेतसाम् आत्मतत्त्वाद्यशक्तानामात्मनामकृतात्मनाम्

By what means is the great god made subject to mortals of dull understanding, who lack the power of self-knowledge and have not realized the true nature of the self?

न कर्मणा न तपसा न जपैर्नासनादिभिः न ज्ञानेन न चान्येन वश्यो ऽहं श्रद्धया विना

Not by action, nor by austerity, nor by recitation, nor by postures and the like, nor by knowledge, nor by any other means am I made subject—without faith.

श्रद्धा मय्यस्ति चेत्पुंसां येन केनापि हेतुना वश्यः स्पृश्यश्च दृश्यश्च पूज्यस्संभाष्य एव च

If there is faith in me in a person, for whatever reason, then I become accessible, touchable, visible, worshipped, and approachable in speech.

साध्या तस्मान्मयि शद्धा मां वशीकर्तुमिच्छता श्रद्धा हेतुस्स्वधर्मस्य रक्षणं वर्णिनामिह

Therefore, let faith in me be cultivated by one who wishes to bring me under control; faith is the cause of upholding one’s own duty here among those with social order.

स्ववर्णाश्रमधर्मेण वर्तते यस्तु मानवः तस्यैव भवति श्रद्धा मयि नान्यस्य कस्यचित्

A person who lives according to the duty of their own class and stage of life—only that person has faith in me, not anyone else.

आम्नायसिद्धमखिलं धर्ममाश्रमिणामिह ब्रह्मणा कथितं पूर्वं ममैवाज्ञापुरस्सरम्

All the duties established by tradition for those in the stages of life here were formerly taught by Brahma, in accordance with my command.

स तु पैतामहो धर्मो बहुवित्तक्रियान्वितः नात्यन्त फलभूयिष्ठः क्लेशाया ससमन्वितः तेन धर्मेण महतां श्रद्धां प्राप्य सुदुर्ल्लभाम्

That ancestral duty, accompanied by many rituals and acts of charity, does not yield excessive fruit, but is attended by hardship; by that great duty, one attains faith, which is very difficult to obtain.

वर्णिनो ये प्रपद्यंते मामनन्यसमाश्रयाः तेषां सुखेन मार्गेण धर्मकामार्थमुक्तयः

Those who belong to the social orders and take refuge in me alone, for them, the paths to virtue, desire, wealth, and liberation are attained with ease.

वर्णाश्रमसमाचारो मया भूयः प्रकल्पितः तस्मिन्भक्तिमतामेव मदीयानां तु वर्णिनाम्

The conduct of the social orders and stages of life was further established by me, but only for my own devotees among those who follow the social order.

अधिकारो न चान्येषामित्याज्ञा नैष्ठिकी मम तदाज्ञप्तेन मार्गेण वर्णिनो मदुपाश्रयाः

There is no authority for others—this is my firm command; those of the social order who take refuge in me must follow the path prescribed by that command.

मलमायादिपाशेभ्यो विमुक्ता मत्प्रसादतः परं मदीयमासाद्य पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् परमं मम साधर्म्यं प्राप्य निर्वृतिमाययुः

Freed from the bonds of impurity and illusion by my grace, attaining my supreme state—which is difficult to return from—they reach the highest likeness to me and attain bliss.

तस्माल्लब्ध्वाप्यलब्ध्वा वा वर्णधर्मं मयेरितम् आश्रित्य मम भक्तश्चेत्स्वात्मनात्मानमुद्धरेत्

Therefore, whether one has obtained or not obtained the social duty prescribed by me, if he is my devotee, relying on me, let him uplift his own self by his own self.

अलब्धलाभ एवैष कोटिकोटिगुणाधिकः तस्मान्मे मुखतो लब्धं वर्णधर्मं समाचरेत्

Even the mere attempt to obtain it is many millions of times greater; therefore, having received the social duty from my mouth, one should practice it.

ममावतारा हि शुभे योगाचार्यच्छलेन तु सर्वांतरेषु सन्त्यार्ये संततिश्च सहस्रशः

My incarnations, O auspicious one, appear under the guise of teachers of yoga, and in every age, noble lineages arise by the thousands.

अयुक्तानामबुद्धीनामभक्तानां सुरेश्वरि दुर्लभं संततिज्ञानं ततो यत्नात्समाश्रयेत्

For those who are unfit, lacking understanding, and without devotion, O Lady of the gods, knowledge of the lineage is difficult to obtain; therefore, one should seek it with effort.

सा हानिस्तन्महच्छिद्रं स मोहस्सांधमूकता यदन्यत्र श्रमं कुर्यान्मोक्षमार्गबहिष्कृतः

That is loss, a great defect, that is delusion and blindness and muteness—when one exerts oneself elsewhere, excluded from the path of liberation.

ज्ञानं क्रिया च चर्या च योगश्चेति सुरेश्वरि चतुष्पादः समाख्यातो मम धर्मस्सनातनः

O Lady of the gods, knowledge, action, conduct, and yoga—these four are declared to be the eternal dharma of mine.

पशुपाशपतिज्ञानं ज्ञानमित्यभिधीयते षडध्वशुद्धिर्विधिना गुर्वधीना क्रियोच्यते

Knowledge is said to be the understanding of the soul, bondage, and the Lord; action is the ritual purification of the six paths, performed according to rule and dependent on the teacher.

वर्णाश्रमप्रयुक्तस्य मयैव विहितस्य च ममार्चनादिधर्मस्य चर्या चर्येति कथ्यते

Conduct is called the observance of duties prescribed by me for those engaged in the varṇas and āśramas, and for my worship and related dharmas.

मदुक्तेनैव मार्गेण मय्यवस्थितचेतसः वृत्त्यंतरनिरोधो यो योग इत्यभिधीयते

Yoga is described as the restraint of the fluctuations of the mind, by the very path I have taught, with the mind established in me.

अश्वमेधगणाच्छ्रेष्ठं देवि चित्तप्रसाधनम् मुक्तिदं च तथा ह्येतद्दुष्प्राप्यं विषयैषिणाम्

O goddess, the calming of the mind is superior to a thousand horse sacrifices; it grants liberation and is difficult to attain for those who seek sense objects.

विजितेंद्रियवर्गस्य यमेन नियमेन च पूर्वपापहरो योगो विरक्तस्यैव कथ्यते

Yoga is said to be for one who has subdued the group of senses through restraint and discipline, and for the dispassionate alone; it removes previous sins.

वैराग्याज्जायते ज्ञानं ज्ञानाद्योगः प्रवर्तते

From dispassion arises knowledge, and from knowledge, yoga proceeds.

योगज्ञः पतितो वापि मुच्यते नात्र संशयः दया कार्याथ सततमहिंसा ज्ञानसंग्रहः

One who knows yoga, or even one who has fallen from it, is liberated—of this there is no doubt; compassion must always be practiced, as well as nonviolence and the gathering of knowledge.

सत्यमस्तेयमास्तिक्यं श्रद्धा चेंद्रियनिग्रहः अध्यापनं चाध्ययनं यजनं याजनं तथा

Truthfulness, non-stealing, faith, self-control, teaching and study, performing and officiating at sacrifices—these are to be observed.

ध्यानमीश्वरभावश्च सततं ज्ञानशीलता य एवं वर्तते विप्रो ज्ञानयोगस्य सिद्धये

Meditation, the sense of divinity, and constant devotion to knowledge—whoever acts thus, as a brāhmaṇa, attains success in the yoga of knowledge.

अचिरादेव विज्ञानं लब्ध्वा योगं च विंदति दग्ध्वा देहमिमं ज्ञानी क्षणाज्ज्ञानाग्निना प्रिये

Very soon, having attained realization and yoga, the knower burns this body in an instant with the fire of knowledge, O beloved.

प्रसादान्मम योगज्ञः कर्मबंधं प्रहास्यति पुण्यःपुण्यात्मकं कर्ममुक्तेस्तत्प्रतिबंधकम् तस्मान्नियोगतो योगी पुण्यापुण्यं विवर्जयेत्

By my grace, the knower of yoga will abandon the bondage of karma—both good and evil actions are obstacles to liberation; therefore, by command, the yogi should renounce both merit and demerit.

फलकामनया कर्मकरणात्प्रतिबध्यते न कर्ममात्रकरणात्तस्मात्कर्मफलं त्यजेत्

It is by desire for the fruit that one is bound by action, not by mere performance of action; therefore, one should renounce the fruit of action.