Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

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.

प्रमादो नाम योगस्य साधना नाम भावना इदं वेत्युभयाक्रान्तं विज्ञानं स्थानसंशयः

Negligence is called forgetfulness in yoga; practice is called contemplation. Knowledge affected by both is doubt about the place.

अप्रतिष्ठा हि मनसस्त्वनवस्थितिरुच्यते अश्रद्धा भावरहिता वृत्तिर्वै योगवर्त्मनि

The instability of the mind is called lack of establishment; lack of faith is a disposition devoid of conviction on the path of yoga.

विपर्यस्ता मतिर्या सा भ्रांतिरित्यभिधीयते दुःखमज्ञानजं पुंसां चित्तस्याध्यात्मिकं विदुः

That which is a distorted understanding is called error. Suffering arising from ignorance is known as internal affliction of the mind.

आधिभौतिकमंगोत्थं यच्च दुःखं पुरा कृतैः आधिदैविकमाख्यातमशन्यस्त्रविषादिकम्

Suffering arising from physical causes, from actions done previously, is called worldly affliction; suffering from divine causes, such as planets and poison, is also described.

इच्छाविघातजं मोक्षं दौर्मनस्यं प्रचक्षते विषयेषु विचित्रेषु विभ्रमस्तत्र लोलता

Depression arising from the obstruction of desire for liberation is spoken of; confusion regarding various objects is called restlessness.

शान्तेष्वेतेषु विघ्नेषु योगासक्तस्य योगिनः उपसर्गाः प्रवर्तंते दिव्यास्ते सिद्धिसूचकाः

When these obstacles are pacified, divine symptoms arise in the yogi devoted to yoga; these are signs of accomplishment.

प्रतिभा श्रवणं वार्ता दर्शनास्वादवेदनाः उपसर्गाः षडित्येते व्यये योगस्य सिद्धयः

Insight, hearing, news, vision, taste, and sensation—these six are obstacles, and in loss, they are attainments of yoga.

सूक्ष्मे व्यवहिते ऽतीते विप्रकृष्टे त्वनागते प्रतिभा कथ्यते यो ऽर्थे प्रतिभासो यथातथम्

Insight is said to be the perception of an object, whether subtle, concealed, past, distant, or yet to come, exactly as it is.

श्रवणं सर्वशब्दानां श्रवणे चाप्रयत्नतः वार्त्ता वार्त्तासु विज्ञानं सर्वेषामेव देहिनाम्

Hearing is the effortless perception of all sounds; news is the knowledge of all information among embodied beings.

दर्शनं नाम दिव्यानां दर्शनं चाप्रयत्नतः तथास्वादश्च दिव्येषु रसेष्वास्वाद उच्यते

Vision is the effortless seeing of divine beings; likewise, taste is called the enjoyment of divine flavors.