Glory of Gouri and Shankara

Krishna said

Bhagavan Paramesha Sharva has boundless power, and I have heard that his forms fill the whole universe. Now tell me what the natures of Paramesha and Parameshi are, and how the two rule in their male and female forms.

Upamanyu replied

I shall tell in brief of the glorious forms of Shiva and Shivaa; even Bhava cannot give it in full. Shakti is Mahadevi herself, and Mahadeva is the one in whom Shakti dwells. All that moves or rests is a small fragment of their powers. Some things are without consciousness and some have it, and each may be pure or impure, Para or Apara. In samsara's wheel there are both the aware and the unaware, and among them the impure Apara and the pure Para. Para and Apara alike may or may not be conscious. Shiva and Shivaa are conscious by nature. The universe is ruled by them, and they are not ruled by it. They are Vishveshvara and Vishveshvari, the sovereigns. Shiva is like Devi and Devi like Shiva, no gap to be seen between them, as between the moon and its light. Without the light the moon would not shine, and so it must be understood that without Shakti Shiva does not shine. There is no sun without radiance and no radiance without the sun. So Shakti and her possessor lean on each other. No Shakti exists without Shiva, no Shiva without Shakti. Through Shakti, Shiva ever gives embodied beings both enjoyment and release.

Shakti is original, single and supreme, eternal, and resting on Shiva. The lord of everything has qualities matching hers, and Shiva, the highest self, follows her same dharma. She is one, supreme, of the nature of consciousness, the one who gives birth. By Shiva's will she divides herself many ways and makes the universe. Her three names are Mulaprakriti, Maya and Triguna. When the world is turned upside down, that is Shivaa's doing. She splits herself into parts, by ones, twos, hundreds and thousands, each with its own function. By Shiva's will Para Shakti joins with Shiva's tattva and the first creation comes, as oil comes from sesame. This is Kriya Shakti, born of Shakti and her possessor. When Kriya Shakti is stirred, the primal nada arises; from nada comes bindu, from bindu Sadashiva, from Sadashiva Maheshvara, and from Maheshvara pure Vidya. She is the sovereign of speech, and since the trident-bearer holds this Shakti he is the lord of speech. The letters appear as the Matrikas. United with the infinite, Maya brings forth Kaala, Niyati, Kalaa and Vidya, and through Kalaa, Raga and Purusha. Then the unmanifest with its three gunas comes from Maya, the gunas divide further, and sattva, rajas and tamas fill the universe. When the gunas are stirred, their three lords appear. In order come Mahat and the other tattvas. By Shiva's command countless clusters of eggs arise, each ruled by endless Vidyeshas and Chakravartis. Shaktis differ according to bodies, gross and subtle: Rudra's is Roudri, Vishnu's Vaishnavi, Brahma's Brahmani, Indra's Aindri. In short, as the self is inside a body, so Shakti fills everything the world names. Kalaa is the paramatman's supreme Shakti; she is Para Shakti and follows Ishvara's wishes. It is fixed that she makes everything in the universe, moving and unmoving.

Ishvara rules the universe and eternally pervades it, and he holds the three Shaktis of Jnana, Kriya and Iccha. Iccha Shakti is what says "so shall it be" or "so shall it not be", and it holds action in check. Jnana Shakti lives as intelligence and settles the true nature of cause, effect, instrument and purpose. Kriya Shakti lives in the world and brings about what is wished; as resolve it frames the task and the moment for it. Para Shakti follows the dharma of giving birth. When the three Shaktis have arisen, she creates the whole universe. Shiva is said to be the union of the Shaktis. Born of Shakti and her possessor, the universe is full of both. No child is born without a father and a mother, and without Bhava and Bhavani nothing moving or still would exist. The universe came from the masculine and feminine and so holds them both, being the result of their powers.

Shiva is called both the supreme self and Shivaa. As Sadashiva he has Manonmani at his side. As Maheshvara he has Maya. Purusha is Paramesha and Prakriti is Parameshvari. Rudra has Rudrani. Vishnu, as Vishveshvara, has Lakshmi. The one Shiva made, Brahma, has Brahmani. The sun is Bhagavan Shiva and Prabha is Bhagavati Shivaa. Mahendra is Shiva as the foe of Manmatha, and Shachi is the mountain's daughter. Fire, Jataveda, is Mahadeva, and Svaha is half of Sharva's body. Yama is Tryambaka and Nirriti is Isha, each with the mountain's daughter as consort; so too Varuna as Rudra with Varuni. Vayu is the moon-crested lord and his beloved is Shivaa. The yaksha lord is the destroyer of the sacrifice, with Riddhi the mountain's daughter. Chandra is Chandrashekhara with Rohini as Rudra's beloved. Ishana is Paramesha and Aarya is Parameshvari. Ananta, infinite in might, has the infinite one as his beloved. Kalagni is Rudra and Kali is his beloved. Manu is Shambhu and Shatarupa Shiva's beloved. Daksha is Mahadeva himself and Prasuti Parameshvari. Ruchi is Bhava and Akuti Bhavani. Bhrigu is the one who destroyed Bhaga's eyes, with Khyati as the three-eyed one's beloved. Marichi is Rudra and Sambhuti Sharva's beloved. Angiras is the bearer of the Ganga and Smriti is Uma herself. Pulastya is moon-crested and Priti the trident-bearer's beloved. Pulaha is the destroyer of Tripura, his beloved being Shiva's own. Kratu is the destroyer of the sacrifice and Sannati the lord's beloved. Atri is the three-eyed one and Anasuya is Uma. Kashyapa is the destroyer of Kala and the gods' mother is Maheshvari. Vasishtha is Manmatha's foe and Arundhati is Devi. All men are Shankara and all women Maheshvari, so every man and woman carries their powers.

Isha is the enjoyer and Parameshvari what is enjoyed. Whatever is heard is Uma's form and whoever hears is the wielder of the excellent trident. Whatever is worth asking about is upheld by Shankara's beloved, and whoever asks is the moon-crested lord whose self is the universe. All that is seen, spoken or has shape is his beloved, and the one who sees is Vishveshvara with the slice of moon as crest jewel. Everything with flavour is Mahadevi and the taster is Deva Shiva. Everything dear is Girija and the one who loves is the drinker of poison. All that is worth thinking is held up by Devi Maheshvari and the thinker is Mahadeva, whose self is the universe. All that can be understood rests on Bhava's beloved and the one who understands is Chandrashekhara. In everything alive, the wielder of the Pinaka is the breath, and Ambika, as water, keeps the breath going in all. All fields are Devi, beloved of Tripura's destroyer, upheld by her, and the Destroyer is the knower of the field. Day is the trident-holding Deva and night is his beloved. The sky is Shankara and the earth his beloved, the sea is Isha and the shore the mountain king's daughter, the tree is Vrishadhvaja and the creeper Vishveshvara's beloved. The punisher of Tripura upholds all that is male, and the one who charms Deva upholds all that is female. Sharva's beloved bears every collection of words and Chandrashekhara bears the meanings of those words. Every object is Maheshvara and the Shakti in each object is Devi Vishveshvari. All that is supreme, pure, holy and auspicious is called a spreading of the energy of these two. As one flame lights a whole house, their energy fills and lights the universe. The supreme shrutis say that from a blade of grass up to an image of Shiva, all that is known in the world arises from contact with them. They live in everyone's self, secure every good, and should always be worshipped, honoured and remembered.

Krishna, as far as my wisdom allows, I have told you the inborn nature of Paramesha and Parameshi, though I have not finished. Who can speak it fully? It is beyond the minds even of the great, and lives in the hearts of those devoted to Ishvara and Ishvari; for those who are not, it does not exist in their understanding. The powers described are said to lie beyond Prakriti, and those who know secrets know this one, secret and supreme. The highest powers of Parameshvara are beyond Prakriti and cannot be reached by words, thoughts or senses. He is the final refuge, destination and attainment, and Parameshthi's powers are that. To reach it, some have worked at holding the breath and conquering the senses, closing every entrance to the prison of a womb. One who understands the powers of Shiva and Shivaa has nothing to fear, and gains the medicine mritasanjivani, an antidote for the deadly poison of samsara. One who grasps the tattva of their Para and Apara powers rises above the Apara and gains the Para.

Krishna, so I have told you the true nature of the two supreme selves. It is a secret, but you are Bhava's devotee and worthy. The Vedas command that the powers of Isha and Ishi never be spoken to non-disciples or to those who are not Shiva's devotees. Bringer of welfare, do not tell this to others; tell it to those like you. One who reveals the nature of Shiva and Shivaa's powers to the worthy is freed from the ocean of samsara and reaches sayujya with Shiva. Reciting it destroys crores of great sins, and reciting it three or four times destroys yet more. Harmful enemies perish and well-wishers increase, learning grows, the mind turns to Shiva and truth flourishes. A person with supreme devotion to Shiva, with Amba, the followers and attendants, gains welfare and everything else, without doubt. It should be chanted with inner purity, trust and devotion. If, because earlier karma is strong, the fruit does not appear, recite it again and again, and nothing in the world will remain out of reach.