Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

तत्राकारो ऋगभवदुकारो यजुरव्ययः मकारस्साम संजातो नादस्त्वाथर्वणी श्रुतिः

There, the 'a' became the Ṛg, the imperishable 'u' became the Yajur, the 'm' became the Sāman, and the nāda became the Atharvaṇic revelation.

ऋगयं स्थापयामास समासात्त्वर्थमात्मनः रजोगुणेषु ब्रह्माणं मूर्तिष्वाद्यं क्रियास्वपि

Ṛg, from its essence, established the meaning of itself in summary: Brahmā, the first among forms, in the functions and in the qualities of rajas.

सृष्टिं लोकेषु पृथिवीं तत्त्वेष्वात्मानमव्ययम् कलाध्वनि निवृत्तिं च सद्यं ब्रह्मसु पञ्चसु

Creation in the worlds, earth among the elements, the imperishable self, withdrawal on the path of kalā, and immediately in the five Brahmas.

लिंगभागेष्वधोभागं बीजाख्यं कारणत्रये चतुःषष्टिगुणैश्वर्यं बौद्धं यदणिमादिषु

In the lower part of the liṅga, in the triad of causes called the seed, the sixty-fourfold mastery over the powers beginning with aṇimā.

तदित्थमर्थैर्दशभिर्व्याप्तं विश्वमृचा जगत् अथोपस्थापयामास स्वार्थं दशविधं यजुः

Thus, with these ten meanings, the universe was pervaded by the Ṛg; then, the Yajur established its own tenfold meanings.

सत्त्वं गुणेषु विष्णुं च मूर्तिष्वाद्यं क्रियास्वपि स्थितिं लोकेष्वंतरिक्षं विद्यां तत्त्वेषु च त्रिषु

Sattva among the qualities, Viṣṇu as the first among forms and in actions, preservation in the worlds, the mid-region, knowledge among the three principles.

कलाध्वसु प्रतिष्ठां च वामं ब्रह्मसु पञ्चसु मध्यं तु लिंगभागेषु योनिं च त्रिषु हेतुषु

Establishment in the paths of kalā, the left among the five Brahmas, the middle among the parts of the liṅga, and the yoni among the three causes.

प्राकृतं च यथैश्वर्यं तस्माद्विश्वं यजुर्मयम् ततोपस्थापयामास सामार्थं दशधात्मनः

And the natural sovereignty as it is; therefore, the universe is composed of Yajur. Then, the Sāman established its own tenfold meanings.

तमोगुणेष्वथो रुद्रं मूर्तिष्वाद्यं क्रियासु च संहृतिं त्रिषु लोकेषु तत्त्वेषु शिवमुत्तमम्

Among the qualities of tamas, Rudra as the first among forms and in actions, dissolution in the three worlds, and the supreme Śiva among the principles.

विद्याकलास्वघोरं च तथा ब्रह्मसु पञ्चसु लिंगभागेषु पीठोर्ध्वं बीजिनं कारणत्रये

In the forms of knowledge and art, in the five Brahmas, in the portions of the liṅga above the pedestal, the seed exists within the three causes.

पौरुषं च तथैश्वर्यमित्थं साम्ना ततं जगत् अथाथर्वाह नैर्गुण्यमर्थं प्रथममात्मनः

Likewise, the principle of Puruṣa and sovereignty; thus, by the Sāman, the universe is pervaded. Then Atharvan declares the original transcendence of qualities for the Self.

ततो महेश्वरं साक्षान्मूर्तिष्वपि सदाशिवम् क्रियासु निष्क्रियस्यापि शिवस्य परमात्मनः

Thereafter, Maheśvara is directly present, and Sadāśiva too, in forms and in actions, even though Śiva, the supreme Self, is beyond action.

भूतानुग्रहणं चैव मुच्यंते येन जंतवः लोकेष्वपि यतो वाचो निवृत्ता मनसा सह

And by whom the granting of beings occurs, by whom creatures are liberated; in the worlds, where speech, together with mind, turns back.

तदूर्ध्वमुन्मना लोकात्सोमलोकमलौकिकम् सोमस्सहोमया यत्र नित्यं निवसतीश्वरः

Above that is the Unmanā world, beyond the lunar world, beyond the mundane, where Soma, with the sacrificial offerings, where the Lord eternally resides.

तदूर्ध्वमुन्मना लोकाद्यं प्राप्तो न निवर्तते शांतिं च शांत्यतीतां च व्यापिकां चै कलास्वपि

Above that Unmanā world, one who attains does not return; and both peace and that which is beyond peace, and the all-pervading power, even among the arts.

तत्पूरुषं तथेशानं ब्रह्म ब्रह्मसु पञ्चसु मूर्धानमपि लिंगस्य नादभागेष्वनुत्तमम्

That Puruṣa, that Īśāna, Brahma among the five Brahmas, and even the summit of the liṅga, in the supreme portions of sound.

यत्रावाह्य समाराध्यः केवलो निष्कलः शिवः तत्तेष्वपि तदा बिंदोर्नादाच्छक्तेस्ततः परात्

Where the pure, partless Śiva is invoked and worshipped, even there, from the bindu, from the sound, from the power, and beyond that.

तत्त्वादपि परं तत्त्वमतत्त्वं परमार्थतः कारणेषु त्रयातीतान्मायाविक्षोभकारणात्

Beyond even that principle is the supreme reality, which is not a principle in the highest sense, transcending the three causes, the source of the agitation of Māyā.

अनंताच्छुद्धविद्यायाः परस्ताच्च महेश्वरात् सर्वविद्येश्वराधीशान्न पराच्च सदाशिवात्

Beyond the infinite pure knowledge, and beyond Maheśvara, beyond all the lords of knowledge, and beyond Sadāśiva as well.

सर्वमंत्रतनोर्देवाच्छक्तित्रयसमन्वितात् पञ्चवक्त्राद्दशभुजात्साक्षात्सकलनिष्कलात्

From the Lord of all mantra bodies, endowed with the three powers, with five faces and ten arms, manifest and unmanifest.

तस्मादपि पराद्बिंदोरर्धेदोश्च ततः परात् ततः परान्निशाधीशान्नादाख्याच्च ततः परात्

Even beyond that, from the half of the bindu, and beyond that, beyond the lords of night, and beyond that, from that called sound.

ततः परात्सुषुम्नेशाद्ब्रह्मरंध्रेश्वरादपि ततः परस्माच्छक्तेश्च परस्ताच्छिवतत्त्वतः

Beyond that, from the Lord of the central channel, and even from the Lord of the cranial aperture, and beyond that, from the supreme power, and beyond that, from the principle of Śiva.

परमं कारणं साक्षात्स्वयं निष्कारणं शिवम् कारणानां च धातारं ध्यातारां ध्येयमव्ययम्

The supreme cause, directly, is Śiva himself, causeless, the source of all causes, the object of meditation for meditators, imperishable.

परमाकाशमध्यस्थं परमात्मोपरि स्थितं सर्वैश्वर्येण संपन्नं सर्वेश्वरमनीश्वरम्

Situated in the midst of the supreme ether, above the supreme Self, endowed with all sovereignty, the Lord of all, without a superior.

ऐश्वर्याच्चापि मायेयादशुद्धान्मानुषादिकात् अपराच्च परात्त्याज्यादधिशुद्धाध्वगोचरात्

From sovereignty, from Māyā, from impurity, from the human and others, from the lower, from the higher, from the path of supreme purity.

तत्पराच्छुद्धविद्याद्यादुन्मनांतात्परात्परात् परमं परमैश्वर्यमुन्मनाद्यमनादि च

Beyond that, from pure knowledge, and from the highest Unmanā, the supreme, the highest sovereignty, from Unmanā, and the beginningless.

अपारमपराधीनं निरस्तातिशयं स्थिरम् इत्थमर्थैर्दशविधैरियमाथर्वणी श्रुतिः

Boundless, not dependent on another, free from excess, stable—thus, with these tenfold meanings, is this Atharvanic revelation.

यस्माद्गरीयसी तस्माद्विश्वं व्याप्तमथर्वणात् ऋग्वेदः पुनराहेदं जाग्रद्रूपं मयोच्यते

Because it is greater, therefore the universe is pervaded by the Atharva Veda; the Rig Veda again declares this as the waking state, which I have spoken.

येनाहमात्मतत्त्वस्य नित्यमस्म्यभिधायकः यजुर्वेदो ऽवदत्तद्वत्स्वप्नावस्था मयोच्यते

By which I am always the revealer of the essence of the Self—so the Yajur Veda declares; in the same way, the dream state is said by me.