Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

विण्मूत्रश्लेष्मणां तावदल्पभावः प्रजायते बहुभोजनसामर्थ्यं चिरादुच्छ्वासनं तथा

Then there arises a reduction in feces, urine, and phlegm, the capacity to eat much, and the ability to exhale for a long time.

लघुत्वं शीघ्रगामित्वमुत्साहः स्वरसौष्ठवम् सर्वरोगक्षयश्चैव बलं तेजः सुरूपता

Lightness, swiftness, enthusiasm, excellence of voice, destruction of all diseases, strength, brilliance, and beauty arise.

धृतिर्मेधा युवत्वं च स्थिरता च प्रसन्नता तपांसि पापक्षयता यज्ञदानव्रतादयः

Steadfastness, intelligence, youthfulness, stability, clarity, the destruction of sins through austerities, and the performance of sacrifices, gifts, and vows.

प्राणायामस्य तस्यैते कलां नार्हन्ति षोडशीम् इन्द्रियाणि प्रसक्तानि यथास्वं विषयेष्विह

All these do not equal even a sixteenth part of that prāṇāyāma; just as the senses, absorbed in their objects here, do not.

आहत्य यन्निगृह्णाति स प्रत्याहार उच्यते नमःपूर्वाणींद्रियाणि स्वर्गं नरकमेव च

When one restrains the senses together from their objects, that is called pratyāhāra; the senses, by their previous actions, lead to heaven or hell.

निगृहीतनिसृष्टानि स्वर्गाय नरकाय च तस्मात्सुखार्थी मतिमाञ्ज्ञानवैराग्यमास्थितः

When restrained or released, they lead to heaven or hell; therefore, one who seeks happiness, endowed with wisdom and detachment, should control them.

इंद्रियाश्वान्निगृह्याशु स्वात्मनात्मानमुद्धरेत् धारणा नाम चित्तस्य स्थानबन्धस्समासतः

Quickly restraining the horses of the senses, one should uplift oneself by oneself; briefly, dhāraṇā is the fixing of the mind in a place.

स्थानं च शिव एवैको नान्यद्दोषत्रयं यतः कालं कंचावधीकृत्य स्थाने ऽवस्थापितं मनः

And that place is only Śiva, nothing else, for the three faults arise from elsewhere; fixing the mind in that place for a certain time.

न तु प्रच्यवते लक्ष्याद्धारणा स्यान्न चान्यथा मनसः प्रथमं स्थैर्यं धारणातः प्रजायते

If the mind does not waver from the object, that is dhāraṇā, not otherwise; from dhāraṇā, stability of mind first arises.

तस्माद्धीरं मनः कुर्याद्धारणाभ्यासयोगतः ध्यै चिंतायां स्मृतो धातुः शिवचिंता मुहुर्मुहुः

Therefore, one should make the mind steady through the practice of dhāraṇā; in meditation, the support is repeatedly remembering Śiva.

अव्याक्षिप्तेन मनसा ध्यानं नाम तदुच्यते ध्येयावस्थितचित्तस्य सदृशः प्रत्ययश्च यः

That is called meditation when the mind is undistracted; and the cognition that matches the state of the object of meditation.

प्रत्ययान्तरनिर्मुक्तः प्रवाहो ध्यानमुच्यते सर्वमन्यत्परित्यज्य शिव एव शिवंकरः

The uninterrupted flow, free from other cognitions, is called meditation; abandoning everything else, Śiva alone is the bestower of auspiciousness.

परो ध्येयो ऽधिदेवेशः समाप्ताथर्वणी श्रुतिः तथा शिवा परा ध्येया सर्वभूतगतौ शिवौ

The supreme to be meditated upon is the Lord above the gods, as declared in the Atharvaṇa revelation; likewise, the supreme Śivā is to be meditated upon, both Śiva and Śivā, who pervade all beings.

तौ श्रुतौ स्मृतिशास्त्रेभ्यः सर्वगौ सर्वदोदितौ सर्वज्ञौ सततं ध्येयौ नानारूपविभेदतः

These two, as taught in the revealed and remembered scriptures, are all-pervading, always proclaimed, omniscient, and always to be meditated upon, though manifesting in various forms.

विमुक्तिः प्रत्ययः पूर्वः प्रत्ययश्चाणिमादिकम् इत्येतद्द्विविधं ज्ञेयं ध्यानस्यास्य प्रयोजनम्

Liberation is the first result, and the other is attainment of powers such as aṇimā; these twofold results of this meditation should be known.

ध्याता ध्यानं तथा ध्येयं यच्च ध्यानप्रयोजनम् एतच्चतुष्टयं ज्ञात्वा योगं युञ्जीत योगवित्

Knowing these four—meditator, meditation, object of meditation, and the purpose of meditation—the knower of yoga should practice yoga.

ज्ञानवैराग्यसंपन्नः श्रद्दधानः क्षमान्वितः निर्ममश्च सदोत्साही ध्यातेत्थं पुरुषः स्मृतः

Endowed with knowledge and detachment, faithful, patient, free from possessiveness, and always enthusiastic—such a person is said to meditate in this way.

जपाच्छ्रांतः पुनर्ध्यायेद्ध्यानाच्छ्रांतः पुनर्जपेत् जपध्यनाभियुक्तस्य क्षिप्रं योगः प्रसिद्ध्यति

When exhausted from recitation, one should meditate again; when fatigued from meditation, one should recite again. For one engaged in both recitation and meditation, yoga is quickly accomplished.

धारणा द्वादशायामा ध्यानं द्वादशधारणम् ध्यानद्वादशकं यावत्समाधिरभिधीयते

Concentration lasts for twelve breaths; meditation is twelve times concentration. Until meditation reaches twelvefold, it is called samadhi.

समाधिर्न्नाम योगांगमन्तिमं परिकीर्तितम् समाधिना च सर्वत्र प्रज्ञालोकः प्रवर्तते

Samadhi is named as the final limb of yoga. Through samadhi, the light of wisdom arises everywhere.

यदर्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्तिमितो दधिवत्स्थितम् स्वरूपशून्यवद्भानं समाधिरभिधीयते

That state in which only the object remains, motionless like curd, and the awareness appears as devoid of its own form, is called samadhi.

ध्येये मनः समावेश्य पश्येदपि च सुस्थिरम् निर्वाणानलवद्योगी समाधिस्थः प्रगीयते

Having absorbed the mind in the object of meditation, one perceives it firmly. The yogi established in samadhi is praised as being like the fire of liberation.

न शृणोति न चाघ्राति न जल्पति न पश्यति न च स्पर्शं विजानाति न संकल्पयते मनः

He neither hears nor smells, neither speaks nor sees, nor perceives touch, nor does the mind form any intention.

नवाभिमन्यते किंचिद्बध्यते न च काष्टवत् एवं शिवे विलीनात्मा समाधिस्थ इहोच्यते

He does not consider anything, nor is he bound, but remains like a log of wood. Thus, when the self is dissolved in Shiva, one established in samadhi is described here.

यथा दीपो निवातस्थः स्पन्दते न कदाचन तथा समाधिनिष्ठो ऽपि तस्मान्न विचलेत्सुधीः

Just as a lamp placed in a windless spot does not flicker at all, so too the wise person established in samadhi does not waver.

एवमभ्यसतश्चारं योगिनो योगमुत्तमम् तदन्तराया नश्यंति विघ्नाः सर्वे शनैःशनैः

Thus, for the yogi who practices in this way, all obstacles gradually disappear, and the supreme yoga is attained.

आलस्यं व्याधयस्तीव्राः प्रमादः स्थानसंशयः अनवस्थितचित्तत्वमश्रद्धा भ्रांतिदर्शनम्

Laziness, severe diseases, negligence, doubt about the place, instability of mind, lack of faith, and perception of error—

दुःखानि दौर्मनस्यं च विषयेषु च लोलता दशैते युञ्जतां पुंसामन्तरायाः प्रकीर्तिताः

Suffering, depression, and restlessness regarding objects—these ten are declared as obstacles for those who practice yoga.

आलस्यमलसत्त्वं तु योगिनां देहचेतनोः धातुवैषम्यजा दोषा व्याधयः कर्मदोषजाः

Laziness is dullness of body and mind in yogis; diseases arise from imbalance of bodily elements, and faults from actions.