Best Practices

The rishis asked

What are these best practices by which one reaches liberation through direct knowledge? Wind god, now tell us about them and the means.

Vayu answered

Devotion to Shiva is the supreme dharma, and "best practices" is the name for it. It is how one directly realizes Shiva, who gives liberation. It has five parts, which in order are rites, austerities, japa, meditation and knowledge. These are held to lead step by step to siddhi and to be the supreme dharma. One gains both direct and indirect knowledge, and that gives liberation. The shrutis speak of supreme dharma and subsidiary dharma, and for the meaning of the word dharma the shrutis are our final authority. The supreme dharma, up to yoga, is stated in the Vedanta part of the shrutis, and the subsidiary dharma in their ritual part. Those whose selves are not like those of Pashus are held to be entitled to practise the supreme dharma, but everyone has the right to the subsidiary dharma. The supreme dharma and the means of reaching it are set out at length in the dharmashastras and the Vedangas. Devotion to Shiva is supreme dharma and "best practices" is its name. Its nature has been described and developed in the Itihasa and Purana texts, and in great detail in the Shiva agamas and their auxiliary texts, which also describe the qualifications and the rites of purification.

The Shiva agamas are of two kinds, shrouta, and ashrouta but consecrated. The shrouta texts set out the essence of the shrutis. The ashrouta texts are held to be independent of the shrutis. There were formerly ten such independent texts, and eighteen more were added later, called Kamika and the rest. Because they are established, they are also called Siddhanta. The texts that set out the essence of the shrutis together amount to a hundred crore shlokas. They teach the supreme Pashupata vrata and knowledge. In every cycle of yugas Shiva takes an avatara here and there, appearing as a Yogacharya, to teach and spread these doctrines. Four supreme rishis condensed and spread these principles: Ruru, Dadhicha, Agastya and the very illustrious Upamanyu. They are the ones who propagated the collections known as the Pashupata Samhitas. Hundreds and thousands of their descendants have followed them and become gurus. The practice of the supreme dharma they taught is of four types. Among these, Pashupata yoga is the firm means of directly realizing Shiva, so "best practices" is held to mean Pashupata yoga. I will now describe the method used by Brahma to practise it. It is Shiva who conceived this yoga, which involves his eight names. Through it, wisdom about Shiva is suddenly born, followed by steady knowledge within a short time. When Shiva shows favour to a person, knowledge becomes established in him. By his favour and this yoga one perceives Shiva directly, and from that direct perception one is cut off from the cause of samsara and becomes free of it. One so freed becomes like Shiva.

Now I will give separately the method used by Brahma. Shiva, Maheshvara, Rudra, Vishnu, Pitamaha, Samsaravaidya, Sarvajna and Paramatman are the eight chief names used for Shiva. The first five and the others lie beyond tranquillity. Depending on the condition, Sadashiva takes these five names, and when the condition changes he ceases to bear that name. There are terms for the permanent and terms for the impermanent. Terms are limited in this way, and it is possible to be freed from them. Because names and terms are limited, the first five names and terms indicate appellations other than the paramatman. The other three names come from differences in the cause. So Shiva exists by making three kinds of causes. He is unblemished and without beginning, untouched by any earlier feeling. In that perfectly pure form he is called Shiva. Alternatively, Ishvara can have many kinds of beneficial attributes, and the virtuous who know the truth about Shiva then call him Shiva.

Supreme Prakriti is said to be beyond the twenty-three tattvas, and Purusha, beyond Prakriti, is called the twenty-fifth. Considering the speaker and what is spoken, he is called the sound at the beginning of the Vedas. He can be known through the Vedas and is established in Vedanta. Since he enjoys Prakriti, he merges into Prakriti. The one beyond Purusha, who merges into Prakriti, is the supreme Maheshvara, and the inclinations of Purusha and Prakriti are subject to him. Alternatively, imperishable maya has the three gunas. Know that maya is Prakriti and the one who wields it is Maheshvara. Maheshvara is infinite and frees from that maya. The word "rud" means misery or the cause of misery, and the lord who destroys it is called Rudra. So he is Shiva, the supreme cause. There is an entity that fills Shiva's tattvas, bodies and pots, down to the earth, and established in that form Shiva is known as Vishnu. Shiva is father of the universe and its beings; those are his forms. Since he stands as everyone's father, he is called Pitamaha. A physician who knows treatment counters illness with medicine. Ishvara, eternal cause of the creation, preservation and dissolution of the world, always counters the gross, and that is why those who know all the tattvas call him Samsaravaidya, the physician of samsara. Even with the senses that give the ten kinds of knowledge, living beings cannot tell the gross from the subtle and do not know the three times. Like atoms, wrapped in dirt in the ocean of maya, they do not know. But Sadashiva knows the state of every object. Though he has no senses, he succeeds in understanding the meaning of everything without any effort. So he is called Sarvajna. He is Paramatman because he has all the gunas, is eternal and is in all selves. No self is above him; therefore Paramatman is Shiva himself.

The eight names are obtained through the preceptor's favour. Shiva's first five names cut the knots of the kalas, nivritti and the others. In this way, according to one's qualities, one cuts and cleanses. The names are kept and repeated. When they are cut, the puryashtaka rises through the sushumna, through the heart, throat, palate, the middle of the eyebrows and Brahmarandhra. It settles in Shiva's energy, above the twelve joints and the moon there. After that the face contracts and dissolves. The body is repeatedly sprinkled with a shower of amrita from Shakti, and in the form of this amrita one's own self descends into the heart. Beyond the twelve joints and the moon is a white lotus. Mahadeva sits on it, and Shankara is affectionate to his devotees. The divinity's sweet and sparkling form is that of Arddhanarishvara, like pure crystal, pleasant, with a cool radiance. With a steady mind the man meditates on the divinity in his mind. He mentally pictures flowers and worships Shiva by his eight names. After the worship he does pranayama again, controls his mind properly and does japa of Sharva's eight names. He symbolically offers eight oblations at the navel. When the oblation is complete he bows, offers eight flowers, bows again and completes the worship. He takes water in the hollow of his hands and offers up his self. If he does this, within a short time he will gain the auspicious Pashupata knowledge. Acting in this way he gains an excellent state, and there is no doubt he will reach supreme yoga and be liberated.