Shiva's Tattva Continued

Upamanyu said

Shakti and Vidya are his by nature, and the universe does not show their signs. She is one yet shines in many forms, as the sun's brightness does. His Shaktis, Iccha, Jnana, Kriya, Maya and the rest, are without number, like sparks from a flame. From this Shakti, which lies beyond Prakriti, were born Sadashiva, Ishvara, Vidyeshvara, Avidyeshvara and others. Doubtless this Shakti produces everything from Mahat to Vishesha, and Aja and the other forms. She is subtle, all-pervading, of the form of understanding and bliss. The moon-ornamented god Shiva is called her possessor. Shiva is what is to be known. He is learning and wisdom, the shrutis and smritis, patience, steadiness, firmness, knowledge, and the Shaktis of Jnana, Iccha and Karma. His command is the supreme brahman. Vidya is of two kinds, Para and Apara. Pure Vidya and pure Kalaa are both made by Shakti. Maya is Prakriti, and a living being, subject to change, is Vikriti. Shakti pervades all things, whether they exist or not. Devi Maya bewilders the moving and unmoving universe, and in her play, effortlessly, she frees it. With her, in her twenty-seven forms, Sarvesha is established and fills the universe. This is how liberation occurs.

Once some sages who knew the brahman and longed for release were troubled by doubts. They wondered: what is the reason for it all? Where were we born from, and why do we live? Where will we be placed, and who rules us? How can we reach eternal joy and other lasting things? Who made these uncrossable arrangements in the universe? Time, inclination, destiny and wishes cannot have put us here. Purusha, or any supreme yogi, cannot be the origin of beings. Time is insentient but the self is sentient. Beings feel joy and sorrow but own neither. Those given to meditation and yoga can see Ishvara's Shakti. Their bonds are cut and they see him directly, though the gunas hide him. With the bonds cut they see the cause of all causes, the possessor of Shakti. With divine sight they see Mahadeva, beyond measure, who through Shakti presides over all causes together with Kaala. By his favour one sees the supreme yoga of devotion and reaches the divine goal. They see Shiva with Shakti in their hearts, and the shrutis say such people gain eternal peace. The possessor of Shakti can never exist without Shakti, nor can Shakti leave her possessor. The two are one.

Liberation by knowledge or by action is not what is taught. By his favour, liberation seems to take bodily form and lie in the palm of one's hand. By his favour gods, danavas, animals, birds, worms and insects can be freed. An unborn child in the womb, a child, a youth, an old person, someone about to die, a dweller in heaven or hell, one who has fallen, a person of dharma, a scholar, a fool: all of these, by his favour, are freed in an instant. Parameshvara is pleased with devotees even when they are unworthy, and in his compassion frees them from many kinds of dirt. Devotion comes from his favour and favour comes from devotion. Seeing that states can differ, the wise are not confused by this. His favour is needed first for enjoyment and liberation, but they cannot be gained in one birth. There are siddhas who followed the shruti and smriti across many births; when understanding dawns they lose their attachment and Maheshvara is pleased. The lord of the gods is pleased when Pashus take such a path.

First the mind must be filled with faith: "My lord exists." After this a person takes up the many austerities that mark followers of Shiva's dharma. From this yoga comes deeper devotion, from deeper devotion greater favour, and through favour release from bonds. He goes beyond the ideas of freed and not freed. Even a mortal with a little of such feeling will not be squeezed in the birth canal for three births in a row. Service, with or without accessories, is called devotion, and by mode it is threefold: thought, word and deed. Picturing Shiva's form is service of the mind, japa is service of words, and rites such as worship are service of deeds. All three are following Shiva's dharma. Shiva, the supreme self, has said there are five kinds of dharma: austerities, karma, japa, meditation and knowledge. Karma is worship of Shiva's lingam. Austerities are chandrayana and the like. Japa is of three sorts: repetition, thinking of him, and meditation. The knowledge of the Shiva agamas is what is called knowledge. Out of compassion for those who take refuge in Shiva, and to give them a means to secure their good, Shrikantha Shiva spoke the Shiva agamas to Shivaa. So a sensible man who wants his own good should increase devotion to Shiva and avoid clinging to material things.