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In the Name of Shiva, the Most Glorious, the Most Obvious, the |
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SHRI SHIVA RAHASYA THE EIGHTH LIGHT (Chapter
Eight) 8 Wherein God's Undivided Nature and Man's Oneness with
Him is proclaimed Lord
Shiva said: 1.
O noble ones! the Universe exists within Myself like a mind-created
thought. Just as a man, through his
own intellectual power, creates a thought in his own mind, even so I, the
Lord, by means of Maya, My Own Power, cause the Universe to appear within My
Own Infinite Self, without My Inner Purity and Peace being thereby disturbed.
2. Maya is a Creative Power without beginning
or end. Arising from My Unmanifest
Self, like a wave out of the Ocean, it creates the Universe. Thus the Universe is born of My Unmanifest
Self by means of Maya.
3. As a multitude of waves, ever-rising,
ever-subsiding, come into being upon the surface of the Ocean which, deep
down, remains ever-still, so the multitude of breathing and non-breathing
things that constitute the World constantly arise out of Me, the Infinite,
Ever-Peaceful Ocean of Universal Consciousness and Bliss.
4. It has been rightly said that the
Unmanifest, Which is Eternal Light and Bliss, is the Cause of all. Indeed, apart from Me, the Supreme Reality,
nothing really exists.
5. Although I am Ever One, due to My Apparent
Diversity, some have concluded that I am Manifold like the Universe. O saintly ones! I nevertheless remain the
Supreme Reality, the Eternal, Changeless Self.
6. My Divine Powers are Infinite, Unmanifest
and Permanent except when, by means of Maya, they appear to act in limited
ways. I, the Absolute Unmanifest,
Eternally Shine in the Celestial Regions beyond this World.
7. I, the Unmanifest, Eternal Self, being
devoid of beginning or end and One with My Wondrous Might, am called diverse
and divided due to My Manifold Power, though I am Eternally One, Undivided
and Whole.
8. As Water, hidden within Air, entirely
unseen at first, becomes a cloud, then rain, snow and ice, even so I, the
Lord, though Unknown, Secret, Hidden and Unseen, Assume the Form of Soul,
Mind, Body and a thousand things. In
truth, it is not hard to see: what Water can, that I, the Lord, Can better
still.
9. Though the manifestations of My One Power
are many, they neither conceal each other, nor do they obscure My True Nature
Which remains Ever-the-Same.
10. That Supreme Unmanifest, adorned with a
Halo of Radiance, that Eternal Light, is My Supreme Abode. Upon That, the entire Universe is woven
like a cloth, warp and woof. That
Alone is Reality. He who realises
That, is liberated.
11. The Supreme Being is that Entity Which
words and thoughts, due to their limitations, cannot reach. He who has experienced the Bliss of the
Supreme, becomes freed from all ailments, all fears and all doubts.
12. I am that Great Being shining like the Sun
beyond the thought-created clouds of ignorance. He who realises Me as such, is liberated
from worldly existence. Becoming One
with Me, he enjoys undying Bliss.
13. Knowing that his own Self surpasses everything
and is the Source Light of the lights of heaven, the knower becomes Identical
with Me and becomes established in My Bliss Divine.
14. Those who know, and have become established
in, Me, bear witness that I am Impenetrable, Subtle, Supremely Blissful and
the Eternal Support of the Universe.
And that, having attained Me, one needs not return to worldly
existence.
15. The radiance that is seen to shine in the
Sky is a reflection of that Self-Luminous Life-Principle residing in the
Highest Heaven. In their supreme
wisdom, the Sages meditate upon That as the Resplendent, Immaculate Abode of
Heaven above the
16. As many Moons, deformed and ever-moving,
are seen reflected in troubled water, but only One, perfectly shaped and still
appears in the mirror of calm water, just so I, the Pure and Perfect One, the
Only Reality, appear in the inward mirror of the Yogi who has stilled his
mind.
17. Having stilled their mind through
meditation, God-Realised men experience the Universal Lord Himself, the Self
of the Universe, the Greatest One, in their own Soul and upon seeing That,
merge in the Supreme Bliss of Heaven.
18. I, the Lord, the One God, though being
Unique, lie hidden in all beings. I am
the Omnipresent, Immanent Soul of all.
The Self-Realised men who see Me as One enjoy Boundless Bliss for
ever.
19. I, Who can see, hear and speak everywhere,
am the Highest Goal of all. Being
Omnipresent, I dwell in the heart of all living beings. Nay, I Am
all living beings. Verily, there is
nothing other than I.
20. O foremost among the wise! this Revelation
is the Greatest among Great Secrets, the Knowledge proclaimed in all true
Teachings as the Word of God. Being
difficult to understand even for Yogis, let it be guarded like a great
treasure.
21. For, Truth has many enemies. They detest the Light of God and thrive in
the shadows of doubt. They seek to
deceive and ensnare the righteous and feed upon their Souls like vampires and
ghosts. Therefore, My Truth shall be
kept secret and revealed unto the faithful when the time has come.
22. I Am the Greatest of all. Among the Knowers of Spirit, I am the Great
Spirit Himself, Self-Born and All-Knowing.
Among Magicians I am the Original, Eternal and Greatest, the Master of
Cosmic Magic and Lord of all Magicians.
Among Yogis, I am the Lord of Yoga, the Abode of Supreme Unity and
Peace. Among Immovable Things, I am
the
23. Among Men, I am One Who is Equal to the
Gods. Among Women, I am the Lady of
the Mountain (Goddess Parvati) Who is ever devoted to Me. Among Suns, I am the Radiance of
Knowledge. Among Fires, the Light of
Consciousness.
24. Among the Beings presiding over the
Spiritual Worlds, I am the Lord of Peace.
Among Birds, I am the great Eagle sacred to the Gods. Among Elephants, I am the Royal Mount. Among Warriors, I am the Divine Hero.
25. Among Sages, I am the Wisest. Among Gods, I am the Lord of Heaven. Among Craftsmen, I am the All-Skilful. Among Spirits, I am the most Virtuous.
26. Among Ascetics, I am the most Austere. Among Divine Attendants, I am the most
Efficient. Among Heroes, I am the
Avenger of the downtrodden. Among
Self-Realised Beings, I am the most Accomplished.
27. Among the Mountains, I am Heavenly
28. Among Serpents, I am Ananta. Among Military Leaders I am the Supreme Commander
of the Hosts of Heaven. Among the
Stages of human life, I am that of Householder. Among Sovereigns I am the King of Heaven.
29. Among the Units of Time, I am the Universal
Aeon. Among World Ages, I am the
Golden Age. Among Guardian Spirits, I
am the God of Wealth. Among Priests, I
am the Chief.
30. Among Lights, I am the Rising Sun. Among Sentiments, I am Selfless Love. Among Months, I am Margashirsha
(November-December or sowing time, in
31. Among Ancestors, I am the Father of
Mankind. Among the Guardians of the
Quarters, I am the Northern One who guards the Gates to the Abode of all
Powers Divine. Among the Forces of
Nature, I am the rain-bearing Wind.
Among the Nine Continents, I am the
32. Among Animals, I am the Lion. Among Plants, I am the Mahaushadhi. Among Fishes, I am the Dolphin. Among Rivers, I am the Most Holy One. Among Seas, I am the Ocean.
33. Among composite Weapons, I am the
far-shooting Bow. Among Letters, I am
the Vowel Ah, abiding as the inner essential sound in all others. Among Holy Scriptures, I am the Original
and Only True. Among Prayers, I am the
Prayer to the Sun (Divine Light).
34. Among Mantras, I am the sacred Sound
OM. Among Knowers of the Holy
Scriptures, I am Manu (the First Man) endowed with Knowledge Divine. Among Holy Cities, I am
35. Among Sciences, I am
the Science of Spirit. Among kinds of
Knowledge, I am the Supreme Knowledge of God.
Among secrets, I am Silence. Among
the Five Elements, I am Space, the most subtle. Among Judges, I am the Righteous Lord of Death
(Dharma Raja, who administers divine justice to the departed Souls).
36. Among Bondages, I am the Cosmic Magic. Among Calculators, I am Time itself. Among the Three Times, I am the Present. Among Goals, I am Spiritual
Liberation. Among the Greatest, I am
the Supreme Lord.
37. O noble ones! whatever else in the World
stands out through its shining excellence, know that to be a Manifestation of
My Radiance Divine.
38. All the things in the Three Worlds were
created that My Glory might be made known.
But those that are greater than others are My Especial Signs given by
Me unto man. For they illumine and
uplift the mind of men and set it upon the Path of Truth that leads to the
Highest Greatness of all. It is by
means of great things that man rises above other creatures.
39. Therefore, having perceived My Supreme
Perfection in those things that outshine all other things, man shall strive
to become Perfect even as I Myself am The Most Perfect. Verily, man is born to strive for Perfection. For he that seeks Perfection is a Seeker of
Truth.
40. All things are born of Truth and shall
return to Truth. He who seeks Truth
seeks his True Home. No Soul shall
ever find peace till he has found his True Home. Home is that Place where a man finds
Peace. Therefore the life of man is a
quest for Peace. And Peace is found in
Perfection, there is no Peace where there is no Perfection.
41. Having been put to sleep at the moment of
creation, man begins his worldly life in the form of an inanimate thing made
of space, air, fire, water or earth.
He abides in that condition for forty-two thousand lifetimes. He then enters a state like that of dream
and assumes the form of half-sentient things such as plants or trees. Thus he passes fifteen thousand
lifetimes. In the form of insects or
worms he abides for twelve thousand lives.
Nine thousand in the form of a sentient beast such as land-borne,
water-borne or air-borne creatures; and six thousand lifetimes in human form.
42. Having thus passed through eighty-four
thousand lives, man is born only three more times: once as a Yogi and twice
as a God. Then, having attained the
Supreme Perfection of Heaven (Para Siddhi), he is born no more.
43. O Sages! I grant many lives to a Soul that
he may steadily grow in wisdom and become wise. For, no creature that is born imperfect
attains Perfection in one lifetime. To
expect man to become Perfect after one brief life would be unjust and
unwise. I, the Lord, am Ever Just and
All-Wise, and so is My Work.
44. In the Beginning, I created the Upper World,
the World of Light wherein abide all Beings Bright. I am the Eternal Ruler of that World. I then created the Lower World wherein
abide the dwellers upon Earth. That
World is ruled by the Radiant Ones who are the Rays of My Own Light and who
rule over the World by the Power of Yoga and in accord with My Command.
45. Yoga is living in Unity with Truth. He who abides in Unity with Truth shall
know neither fear nor grief; nor pain, nor yet disappointment shall he know
but he shall ever rejoice in Heavenly Bliss.
And rejoicing Therein he shall bring Joy unto the World even as the
Sun brings joy to the flowers in the field.
46. Verily, the Yogis who have attained
Perfection and have risen above earthly life are equal to the Gods. They are the Jewels of My Creation and
rule the World together with the Gods.
47. The Yogis' task is to make My Will known
unto the World. They shall ever work
for the establishment of Righteousness on Earth. They shall live a holy life and ever be an
example of Divine Perfection unto all men.
They shall sit in the Assembly of Holy Sages and be a guiding light
unto the King. For they are My
Messengers and I am their True Sovereign.
This was ordained by Me for the welfare of all. I am Compassionate and All-Wise.
48. That land shall be known as
49. O Sages! the World is My Own Creation and a
Manifestation of Truth. Therefore,
righteous men honour and revere My Creation and live in Harmony with it. Verily, he who lives in Harmony with My
Creation lives in Unity with Me. He
who honours a work, honours the workman too.
I and My Work are One and the Same.
50. It is out of Love that I created the
World. Out of Love for My Creation I
set the World in Order and I established My Law. I created the Day, that man might wake and
Night that he might rest. I created
fruit-bearing trees and rich fields of golden grain. I created milk-yielding cows and cool
waters full of fish. I made forests
and caves for shelter, the Moon that man might measure time, the Great Stars
for direction and the light-bestowing Sun. And I gave him the Law whereby he
might live in abundance and peace.
51. Verily, My Love for man manifests itself in
that I give him life of my Own Life and that I offer him sustenance, guidance
and protection. And man's love of Me
shall be seen in his following of My Law.
By the following thereof he abides in Unity with Me. Therefore, he who desires a long and happy
life in this World and the next, shall ever abide by the Law of Unity. He who abides not thereby goes the Path of
Separation which is the Path of Sin and Discord.
52. The Farmer tends and tills the earth. The Merchant trades the fruits of the
Farmer's labour. The Warrior protects
the land. And the Priest conducts the
holy prayers. In the midst of the
above four, the Yogi proclaims my Word of Guidance for the welfare of
all. In this way, Righteousness is
upheld upon Earth. This is My Eternal
Law.
53. Let Earth be honoured at Sowing Time with
festive song and fair dress. For, it
is Earth that bears the seed, that it may grow and yield fruit. But Heaven shall be honoured at Harvest
Time. For it is from Heaven that the
life in all seeds comes and Heaven it is that sows the seed.
54. But I the Lord shall be honoured at all
times. For I am both Heaven and Earth:
I Create, I Make Grow, and I set the Harvest Time too. I set the Wheel of Time in motion. I determine the beginning and end of a day,
the seasons, the year and the age of many years. I ordain both life and death. Therefore, let all Souls worship Me with
devotion in temples, holy places, in their homes and in their heart. In every fortnight, they shall set aside
the eighth and the fourteenth for My Devotion. Likewise, when the Moon is Full. But that worship which is done upon a
Moonless Night shall be regarded as the best of all. These four shall be My Holy Days.
55. He who wishes to obtain the Four Goals (of
Life, see Ch. 5:53: Righteousness, Material Prosperity, Love, Spiritual
Liberation) and attain Perfection in this very life shall always follow My
Law. He that earnestly follows My Law
is a Yogi and a True Man. He lives in
Unity with Me, with the World, and with his true self. He indeed is a blessed one! Verily, there is nothing that a follower of
Unity cannot obtain. This is My
Eternal Law.
56. Supreme Perfection is attained by abiding
in Unity with Truth, Goodness and Beauty.
Truth is That Which is Good, Which is Above all other things and Which
Ever Is. Goodness is the Constant
Abiding in Truth. Beauty is the
Recognition of Truth and Goodness in all things that are good.
57. When the Great Life, the Great Lord,
Perceives Himself and nothing else beside, that, O Sages! is the Supreme
Truth. When God Establishes His Law,
that is the Supreme Goodness. When He
Beholds Himself in all things, that is the Supreme Beauty.
58. Therefore, O noble ones! let man also seek
Truth, do Good, and love Beauty. By
discarding all things that are false, perishable and wrong, man shall attain
to Truth. By striving to establish My
Law (Dharma Shasana) upon Earth, man shall do works that are Good. By seeing My Glory in all things that are
both true and good, man shall see the Beauty of Him Who Is the One True and
Truly Good.
59. Man is born of My divine Perfection and
unto Perfection he shall return. This
is the Eternal Law. Perfection is
attained by the following of My Law.
He who ever strives to be Perfect is a Yogi and a True Man. Him I shall elevate above all other men and
to him I shall grant entrance into My Abode of Truth.
60. O you who are Rays of My Own Light! My Word
of Truth shall not be doubted. For he
that follows It is rightly guided. But
he that follows It not, goes astray.
Verily, no one can find the right path (satpatha) save he who is
guided by the Guiding Light. I, the
Lord, am that Eternal Light. Commentary to Chapter Eight
30. Among Months, I am Margashirsha (November-December or sowing time, in
31. Land of Glory (India): While other nations have exported
Colonialism, Capitalism or Communism, India has given Mankind the World's
greatest Spiritualities and continues to be the Spiritual homeland to over
two billion Yogis, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs from all over the
World. She is the birthplace of Lord
Rama, Lord Krishna, Bhagwan Mahavira, Lord Buddha, Shri Shankaracharya, Shri
Abhinava Gupta, Guru Nanak, Shri Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda, Shri Ramana
Maharshi, Bhagwan Nityananda and thousands more great beings. No other
country has produced as many Enlightened Souls as
32. Among Plants I am the Mahaushadhi: The Mahaushadhi herb,
literally, Most-Efficacious, valued for its manifold medicinal
properties. Mahaushadhi (Supreme
Medicine) is one of Shiva's thousand names listed in the Shiva Purana. As the name implies, Shiva is the Best Cure
for all the ailments of the Soul whom He heals by destroying disease or
disunity and creating Unity.
39. Man shall strive to become Perfect even as I Myself am The Most
Perfect, etc: The Bible also says: "Be you therefore perfect, even
as your Father (God) Who is in Heaven is Perfect" (Mat. 5:48). According to Yoga, Life originates in the
Perfection of God, where it exists in an unmanifest state, that is to say, it
is known to God only. Then, at the
beginning of Creation or Manifestation, that Supreme, Unmanifest Perfection
manifests itself first in the Higher Spiritual Worlds (the Abode of Gods and
other Enlightened Beings); it then descends to the Astral and Terrestrial
Planes, where due to the limitations of material existence its glory becomes
only a shadow of itself. Finally, Life
returns to its point of departure in Heaven where it regains its Supreme
Perfection. Indeed, it is an
undeniable fact that all living beings consciously or unconsciously strive to
achieve Perfection. When we have
completed a particular task well, we feel at peace and content. It is obvious, therefore, that true
happiness lies in Perfection. This is
only natural for since we are, by nature, Divine and hence essentially
Perfect, we cannot find happiness in what is imperfect. For this reason, all authentic Religions,
Scriptures and Revelations, teach that the Ultimate Goal of man is to attain
the Perfection of Heaven. Thus says
the Bible: "All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
Righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works" (2 Tim.
42. Once as a Yogi and twice as a God: As manifestations of God's Own
Powers, the Gods were brought into being for the specific purpose of
assisting in the governance of the World.
This is their first manifestation or coming into existence as distinct
beings. In the second manifestation, having completed all or most of their
tasks they, like all other created beings, enter upon the Path of return to
the Supreme according to the Universal Principle that everything springs from
and merges back into the Universal Consciousness, like waves in the
Ocean. Yogis, on the other hand, may
attain Unity with the Supreme instantly, if they so choose. Indeed, the Gods themselves having in their
second manifestation become Yogis properly speaking, that is, beings that are
intent on attaining
46. Equal to the Gods: The Gods or Radiant Ones are Beings of Light
who came into existence as such from the beginning of Creation. Yogis on the other hand may have started as
humans who then advanced upon the Spiritual Path that leads to
47. They (the Yogis) shall sit in the Assembly of Holy Sages and be a
guiding light unto the King: Yogis means here not just any person who
follows the Path of Yoga but Enlightened Yogis, that is, Souls who have
attained Unity and Identity with the Supreme on the basis of which they are
qualified to guide even the Ruler of a country himself. As an alternative interpretation, the King
may be taken to mean the Soul and the Yogi one's own Higher Self. In other words, the Soul must allow himself
to be guided by his own Higher Self rather than follow the conditioned and
hence defective opinions of the mind.
53. Let Earth be honoured at Sowing Time, etc.: Autumn or Sowing Time
is the period immediately following the rains, when the Earth is saturated
with moisture and begins to cool down after the scorching heat of the summer,
while the days are becoming shorter and the nights longer. It is the time of the year when the forces
of Nature are associated with the moist, cool, dark, downward moving, lunar
or "feminine" aspect of the Divine Spirit (Shakti). It is therefore the time of the great
festivals in honour of Mother Earth, such as Durga Navami (also known as
Dashami). It is not by accident that
Autumn is named after the Goddess Sharada.
Spring or Harvest Time, on the other hand, is the period immediately
following the cold weather, when the Earth is dry and begins to warm up after
the winter chills, while the days are getting longer and the nights
shorter. It is that time of the year
when those forces of Nature become active as are associated with the dry,
hot, bright, upward moving, solar or "masculine" aspect of the
Divine (Shiva). Says the Shiva Purana:
"The Day is the Trident-Bearing Lord and Night is His Consort. The Sky is Lord Shiva and Earth is His
Beloved" (Vayaviya Samhita II, 4:63).
In agricultural terms, Heaven (Svarga) represents the "male"
Spirit of Vegetation who returns to Earth to re-awaken her to life after her
winter rest. It is a time, therefore, to
celebrate the return of the Heavenly Father to the woods, fields and homes
with festivals such as Maha Shiva Ratri, Holi (Vasantotsava), Gangaur, Ram
Navami and Ananga Puja (the Feast of the God of Fertility and Love).
54. These four shall be My Holy Days: The Shiva Purana also says:
"The Great Worship of Shiva shall be performed on the eighth and
fourteenth of every fortnight as well as on New and Full Moon Day"
(Vayaviya Samhita II, 28:2-3). The 14th lunar day (Chaturdashi) of each
fortnight is really a preparation for the actual holiday (New or Full Moon)
falling on the next day (15th). Thus
the four holidays are the 8th (Ashtami) and the 14th of the bright fortnight
plus the 8th and the 14th of the dark fortnight including Full and New Moon, respectively. End of Chapter 8 and Commentary |