Chapter 6 - Glory of God (vibhūti-yoga)

6.1 Rāma marvels at Śiva’s limited form.

Rāma was wonder struck to hear from Lord Śiva that he is the creator of the world made up of all the five elements and consisting of the animate and inanimate objects,^[1] Abhijñāna Śākuntala he saw Śiva to be of limited form, accompanied by mother Pārvatī and his entourage. He expressed this doubt to Śiva in all humility and wanted Śiva to enlighten him by clearing his doubt.

6.2 Lord explains His manifestation.

Hearing this question from the most noble Rāma of exceptional and exquisite qualities, Lord replied that he is providing him the information which is incomprehensible even to Gods^[2] and by the result of which with ease he can cross to the other shore of the sea of births and deaths. God reiterated that all the five elements, the fourteen worlds, oceans, mountains, the sages in front of him and all the moving and unmoving objects are his manifestations^[3]. cf. Abhijñāna Śākuntala & Kumārasambhava

6.3 Śiva, the greatest.

In the time of yore when there arose a dispute between Brahmā and Viṣṇu who among them is greatest, He appeared in front of them Abhijñāna Śākuntala a great mountain and it was decided that who could unfathom the top or bottom of of it will be be the winner. Viṣṇu chose to go down and Brahmā up and finally returned without success and agreed that Śiva is the greatest. Śiva is the primordial being and he will be there in the past, present and future. There is nothing other than Śiva in the whole world.^[4] He extends unto south, unto north, unto east and west, above and below; also the terminal and intermediate directions.

6.4 Glories of Śiva.

He is the foremost, the pre-eminent among all the Gods, the greatest of knowers of truth, and the Lord of waters, the noblest and supreme with six attributes, the ruler, the light and first cause of all. He is the source of all four vedas, Itihāsas and purāṇas and meditation and secret of wisdom. He is the giver Abhijñāna Śākuntala well Abhijñāna Śākuntala the gift. He is this world and the world hereafter; he is the imperishable and the perishable. He is the controller of senses and of the mind and indweller of senses. He is the light Abhijñāna Śākuntala well Abhijñāna Śākuntala darkness. He is the subtle elements and senses. He is the intellect and the egoity^[5]. Verily he alone is all the objects of experience. He is all the Gods, the space, the sun, moon and the stars. He is the vital breath, time, similarly death and immortality. He alone is the primordial Praṇava (OM), the vyāhritis and Gāyatrī.

6.5 The witnessing eye.

Just Abhijñāna Śākuntala ghee pervades a piece of meat^[6] and makes the body grow, He pervades all the worlds. He saves the devotees from the ocean of the dread of being born in the womb, old age, death and the cycle of birth and death; so he is called the saviour. Since he rules all the worlds by his wondrous power of Māyā, he is the Īśāna of this world and the Lord and the Witnessing Eye.^[7]

6.6 Śiva -the Bhagavān.

He is the teacher of the knowledge of Self and the path of knowledge. He pervades everything, so he is called Bhagavān.^[8] In his sport, he creates, maintains and destroys the worlds. He has eyes everywhere and faces in all directions. His arms and feet are everywhere.

6.7 The giver of peace.

Those wise men who directly see him Abhijñāna Śākuntala abiding in their own self, in the centre of their heart, of the size of the tip of the hair and to be always prayed to, for them alone there is peace eternal, not for others.^[9]

6.8 Śiva—the Brahman.

Knowing him Abhijñāna Śākuntala Brahman, the Bliss, from where speech along with mind recoils unable to reach it, one does not fear anything whatsoever.^[10] cf. Taittirīya Upaniṣad

6.9 Further attributes.

He is subtler than the subtlest; similarly greater than the greatest. He is the most ancient, complete and sovereign, golden and the very form of auspiciousness. He is the one who revealed Vedas, meritless and demeritless and has no destruction or birth.^[11] cf. Bhagavad Gītā

6.10 Fruit of Liberation.

He assures the great intelligent Rāma that one who knows him truly, he alone and none else in all the worlds, attains^[12] the fruit of liberation.

Thus ends sixth chapter of Śiva-gītā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Vide SGVI-2

[2]:

Ibid VI-4

[3]:

Ibid VI-10; [...] In Abhijñāna Śākuntala commencing verse [...]. And in Kumārasambhava sixth Canto verse -26

[4]:

Vide Śiva Gītā VI-10

[5]:

Ibid VI-21

[6]:

Ibid VI-32

[7]:

Ibid VI-40

[8]:

Vide Bhakti Ratnāvali p. 41

[9]:

Vide Śiva Gītā VI-46

[10]:

Ibid VI-49; In Taittirīya Upaniṣad -II

[11]:

Vide Śiva Gītā VI-55; In Bhagavad Gītā XV-15

[12]:

Vide Śiva Gītā VI-57