Chapter 16 - The principle of Śiva

Sanatkumāra said:

1. Once again, O extremely intelligent one, I wish to hear the truth, viz., the forms of Śiva mentioned by the leading sages in different words.

Śailādi said:

2. Again and again, O sage, I shall recount to you the forms of Siva mentioned by the leading sages in different words.

3. By certain leading sages and preceptors who have crossed the ocean of Āgamas (scriptures), Śiva is called Kṣetrajña, Prakṛti, Vyakta and Kālātman (soul of time).

4-5. They call Puruṣa by the word Kṣetrajña and they call Pradhāna by the word Prakṛti. The evolutes of Prakṛti are called Vyakta (the manifest). Kāla^[1] (time) is the sole cause of the transformation of Pradhāna into the manifest Prakṛti. This set of four constitutes the four^[2] forms of Īśa.

6. Some preceptors speak of Śiva Parameśvara as having the forms of Hiraṇyagarbha, Puruṣa, Pradhāna and Vyakta.

7. Hiraṇyagarbha is the maker of this universe; Puruṣa is the enjoyer; the evolutes of Pradhāna are named Vyakta and Pradhāna is the greatest cause.

8. Know that this set of four constitutes the four forms of Śiva. There is no other object different from the lord.

9-10. Some mention Īśvara as having the forms of Piṇḍa and Jāti.^[3] The physical bodies of the mobile and immobile beings are Piṇḍas, while the ordinary generalities as well as specific generality sattā is called jāti. These are also the forms of the intelligent lord.

11-13. Some others mention Īśa as the form of Virāj and Hiraṇyagarbha. Hiraṇyagarbha is the cause of the worlds and Virāj is identical with the world.

Some recount Śiva in the forms of Sūtra and Avyākṛta.^[4] Indeed, the Avyākṛta is the Pradhāna and that is a form of Parameṣṭhin. Just as the collection of jewels is held together in a thread so also the worlds are held together by the lord. That form of wonderful exploit is known as Sūtra.

14. Śiva the great lord, Śambhu, Maheśvara is glorified by some as the immanent soul; by others as the great Īśa, by yet others as self-luminous and self-known.

15-16. Śiva is known as one present within and as one who controls all living beings. Since he is greater than all living Beings he is called Para (the great Being). Śiva, Sambhu, Śaṅkara, Parameśvara is the greatest Ātman.

They know his threefold^[5] form named Prājña, Taijasa and Viśva.

17-19- Suṣupti (slumber) Svapna (dream) and Jāgrat (wakefulness) are the three^[6] states wherein Prājña, etc. constitute the presiding deities. The two forms called Virāj and Hiraṇyagarbha are meant by the word Avyākṛta. They constitute the fourth state of Śiva passing through the three states. Hira-ṇyagarbha, Puruṣa is mentioned as Kāla. The three states are the causes of creation, sustenance and annihilation of the universe. The three states of the lord are termed Bhava, Viṣṇu and Viriñca. The embodied beings devoutly propitiate them and attain salvation.

20b-21a. The following four forms of Parameṣṭhin, Śambhu are mentioned by the learned, viz:—Kartṛ (doer), Kriyā (action), Kāryā (effect) and Karaṇa (instrument).

21b-22a. Undoubtedly the following four forms pertain only to Śiva, viz. Pramātṛ (cognizer), Pramāṇa (valid means of knowledge), Prameya (the object of cognition) and Pramiti (the act of cognition).

22b-25. The following are also the forms of Śiva alone, like the billows of the ocean, viz:—Īśvara, Avyākṛta, Prāṇa, Virāj, Bhūtas and Indriyas (sense-organs). They call the efficient cause of the worlds by the name īśvara. Pradhāna itself is mentioned as Avyākṛta by the expounders of the Vedas. Hiraṇyagarbha is called by the name Prāṇa. Virāj is identical with the worlds. The word Bhūta connotes Mahābhūtas (elements). The Indriyas (sense-organs) are their effects. Excellent sages glorify these as Śiva’s forms.

26-31. The wise know that the supreme soul is no other than Śiva. The twenty-five principles^[7] are recounted by the learned as originating from Śiva. They are also not different from him, like the series of waves that are not different from waters. They know that the principle of Śiva is greater than the twenty five categories. Hence, those principles are not different from him in the same way as the bangle is not different from the gold.

The principles Sadāśiva, Īśvara, etc. are born of the principle Śiva and hence not different from it like the variety of jar that is not different from the material mud.

Māyā, Avidyā, Kriyāśakti, Jñānaśakti and Kriyāmayī—these five^[8] are undoubtedly born of Śiva like the rays originating from the sun.

If you wish to acquire welfare with all emotional attachments you shall resort to lord Śiva who is the soul of all and who arranges support unto all.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Kala (Time) is the single factor in the modification of the unmanifest in the process of transformation into the manifest (Prakṛti).

[2]:

The group of four—Pradhāna, Prakṛti, Puruṣa and Kāla-constitutes the lord.

[3]:

piṇṇa-jāti svarūpī—vyakti-jāti-rūpa [rūpaḥ].

[4]:

sūtrāvyākṛtarūpa [sūtrāvyākṛtarūpam]—in the form of Sūtrātman and Pradhāna.

[5]:

The lord has three forms: (i) prājña, soul of the gross body i.e. the animal soul; (ii) taijasa, soul of the subtle body i.e intellectual soul and (iii) viśva, soul of the universe, i.e. universal soul.

[6]:

Three stages of consciousness are known as jāgrat (a waking state), Svapna (a dreaming state) and suṣupti (a state of profound sleep). The individual soul has to pass through all these stages before he merges into the supreme soul.

[7]:

Śiva-tattva is beyond twenty-five tattvas, still he is related to the tattvas as the gold is related to the ornaments or as the ocean to the waves.

[8]:

The five entities māyā, vidyā, kriyā, śakti and jñāna emanate from the lord as rays from the sun.