7 - The esoteric secret of Shiva 

Suta said: 

1. I shall recount to you, at the outset, the esoteric secret, in brief, of the all-knowing Shiva of unmeasured splendour. 

2-3. The yogins who are conversant with the tenets, who have adopted great detachment, who are constantly associated with the eight31 means of Yoga, such as the control of breath and who are endowed with the attributes of mercy32 etc., go either to hell or to heaven according to their deeds. 

31. The eight ancillaries of yoga constitute (1) yama, (2) niyama, (3) asana, (4) prānäyāma, (5) pratyähära, (6) dhäranā, (7) dhyāna, (8) samadhi, Cf SP, Vāyaviya samhita, ch. 37. 

32. For the eight virtues of the soul, compare Agnipuräna as quoted in ST.

4. By virtue of his grace, knowledge arises and yoga functions through knowledge. By dint of yoga, liberation is effected, and everything is achieved through his grace, 

The sages said: 

5. O best of yogins, if perfect knowledge comes through grace, you shall tell us about the form and feature as well as the divine yoga of lord Shiva (through which that grace is attained). 

6. How does the lord devoid of anxiety bestow his grace on men by means of the yogic path and at what time. 

Sūta said: 

7. May you all hear what had been formerly mentioned by Nandin tu Sanat kumāra, the son of Brahma, in the presence of devas, sages and pitrus. 

8. O sages of good holy rites, listen to the incarnations of Vyāsas, at the end of Dvāpara and the incarnations of lord Śhiva as Yogāchāryas in the kali age. 

9. In different areas, the four disciples of the lord, fully endowed with mental control spread the doctrines of Shiva. There grew up many disciples of disciples and the lord was pleased at this. 

10. The perfect knowledge of the lord had been traditionally and gradually transmitted orally to men of the first three castes from brahmins to vaishyas in the manner befitting them. It was done so out of mercy. 

The sages said: 

11. It behaves you to tell us who those Vyāsas were who incarnated during every Dväpara age and furthermore, in which manvantara and kalpa they incarnated. 

Suta said: 

12-13. O brahmins, may you be pleased to listen. I shall duly recount the Vyāsas in the Várāha kalpa of the Vaivasvata manvantara which is still current. I shall recount the Rudras in all the manvantaras. They had been the guides and instructors of perfect knowledge of the Vedas and Purāṇas in all the circles of yugas. 

14-18. O brahmins, these are the Vyāsas: (1) Kratu,33 (2) Satya, (3) Bhargava, (4) Angiras, (5) Savitri, (6) Mrutyu, (7) Shatakratu, (8) Vasişhtha, (9) Särasvata, (10) Tridhāman, (11) Trivruta, (12) Shatatejas, (13) Dharma who is known as Nārāyaņa, (14) Tarakṣhu, (15) Aruņi, (16) Krutañjaya, (17) Řutanjaya, (18) Bharadvāja, (19) Gautama, (20) Vāchashravas, (21) Suşhmāyaṇi, (22) Shuchi, (23) Truņavindu, (24) Ruksha, (25) Shakti, (26) Parāśhara the son of Shakti, (27) Jätukarnya, (28) Krishna Dvaipāyana who was Vişhnu himself. 

33. Identical with 'Prabhu'. Cf. ST.

Now listen to the yoges varas in due order in the Kali age. 

19-20. They are innumerable in the various kalpas and the manvantaras. Since the incarnations of Rudras and Vyāsas in the Kali age are too many, I shall recount the incarnations in the Vaivasvata manvantara, in the Vârâha kalpa and in all the other manvantaras falling therein. 

The sages said: 

21. O Sūta, it behoves you now to recount the manvantaras in the Vārāha kalpa and in all the later kalpas as also recount the Siddhas in the Vaivasvata manvantara. 

Sūta said: 

22-28. The first Manu was (1) Svayambhuva son of Brahmã. Then, O brahmins, was the Manu (2) Svārochişha. The subsequent Manus were: (3) Uttama, (4) Tāmasa, (5) Raivata, (6) Chākşhuşha, (7) Vaivasvata, (8) Sävarņi, (9) Dharma, (10) Sävarnika, (11) Pishanga, (12) Apiśhangābha, (13) Shabala, and (14) Varnaka. The Manus are also designated according to the vowels beginning with 'a' and ending with 'au'. O excellent brāhmins, they are also classified according to their colours as (1) shveta (white), (2) pāņdu (grey), (3) rakta (reddish), (4) tāmra (copper-hued), (5) pita (yellow), (6) kapila (tawny), (7) Krishna (black), (8) shyāma (dark), (9) dhūmra (light-smoke coloured), (10) sudhūmra (deep smoke-coloured), (11) apishanga (non-tawny) (12) pishanga (tawny), (13) trivarņa shabala (three-coloured) and (14) kälandhura (extreme black). Thus all the holy Manus have been mentioned by (1) name, (2) letters, and (3) colour. Those identical with the vowels are, in brief, mentioned as the leaders of the manvantaras. Among them, the seventh Manu is Vaivasvata represented by the vowel 'ru’ and colour black. This seventh Manu is also a leader among devas. I shall mention the yogins in this repeated cycle of yugas in the kalpas that have passed by and those that are yet to come. 

29-35 The current kalpa in the seventh manvantara is known as Vāräha. Now listen to the yogic incarnations of the lord and their line of disciples in due order, in all the kalpas and manvantaras. In the first Kali of Svayambhuva Manu they were (1) Shveta, (2) Sutāra, (3) Madana, (4) Suhotra, (5) Kankaņa, (6) Logäkşhi, (7) Jaigīşhavya, (8) Dadhivāhana, (9) Ruşhabha, (10) Ugra, (11) Atri, (12) Subālaka, (13) Gautama, (14) Vedaśhīrṣha. (15) Gokarna, (16) Guhāvāsin, (17) Shikhandabhrut, (18) Jaţămălin, (19) Attahäsa, (20) Dăruka, (21) Länguli. (22) Mahākāvya, (23) Śhūlin, (24) Dandin, (25) Mundiśhvara, (26) Sahişhņu, (27) Somasharmā, (28) Lakulīšha. O men of holy rites, the incarnations as Yogāchāryas of the lord in all the cycles of four ages in the Vaivasvata manvantara have been recounted (as twentyeight). 

36. O excellent sages, in every Dvāpara age, there are Vyāsas in the same manner. The following are the recurring disciples of these Yogeshvaras, each of whom had four disciples. 

37-51. They are: - (1) Shveta, (2) Shvetaśhikhandin (3) Shvetashva, (4) Shvetalohita, (5) Dundubhi, (6) Shatarūpa, (7) Ruchika, (8) Ketumān, (9) Vishoka, (10) Vikeśha, (11) Vipāśha, (12) Pāśhanāśhana,(13) Sumukha, (14) Durmukha, (15) Durdama, (16) Duratikrama, (17) Sanaka, (18) Sananda, (19) Sanātana, (20) Rubhu, (21) Sanat, (22) Sudāman, (23) Virajas, (24) Shankhapada, (25) Vairajas, (26) Megha, (27) Särasvata, (28) Suvāhana, (29) Meghavāha, (30) Kapila, (31) Asuri, (32) Pañchashikha, (33) Välkala, (34) Parāshara, (35) Garga, (36) Bhārgava (37) Angiras, (38) Balabandhu, (39) Nirāmitra, (40) Ketuśhrunga (41) Lambodara, (42) Lamba, (43) Lambākşha, (44) Lambakeshaka, (45) Sarvajña, (46) Samabuddhi, (47) Sadhya, (48) Sarva, (49) Sudhaman, (50) Käshyapa, (51) Vāsişhtha, (52) Virajas, (53) Atri, (54), Devasada, (55) Shravaņa, (56) Shravişhthaka, (57) Kuņi, (58) Kuņibahu, (59) Kusharira, (60) Kunetraka, (61) Kashyapa, (62) Ushanas, (63) Chyavana, (64) Bruhaspati, (65) Utathya, (66) Vāmadeva, (67) Mahāyoga, (68) Mahābala, (69) Vāchaśhravas, (70) Sudhika, (71) Shyāvāśhva, (72) Yatišhvara, (73) Hiranyanābha, (74) Kaushalya, (75) Logākşhi, (76), Kuthumi, (77) Sumantu, (78) Barbari, (79) Kabandha, (80) Kuśhikandhara, (81) Plakşha, (82) Dālbhyāyani, (83) Ketumān, (84) Gopana, (85), Bhallāvin, (86) Madhupinga, (87) Shvetaketu, (88) Taponidhi, (89) Ushika, (90) Bruhadaśhva, (91) Devala, (92) Kavi, (93) Sālihotra, (94) Agniveśha, (95) Yuvanāśhva, (96) Sharadvasu, (97) Chagala, (98) Kundakarna, (99) Kumbha, (100) Pravāhaka, (101), Ulūka, (102) Vidyuta, (103) Manduka, (104) Ăśhvalāyana, (105) Akşhapāda, (106) Kumāra, (107) Ulūka, (108) Vatsa, (109) Kushika, (110) Garbha, (111) Mitra, (112) Kauruşhya. These noble souls are the disciples of the yogins in all cycles of four yugas. 

52-55. They are all devoid of impurities, almost identical with Brahman, and engaged in the path of knowledge. They are devotees of Pashupati, great Siddhas and have ashes smeared on their bodies. There are hundreds and thousands of disciples and their disciples. They attain the Pāśhupata yoga and Rudra's world. All beings from Devas to Pishachas are said to be Pašhus. Since Lord Rudra is their overlord he is called Pashupati. O Brahmins, the yoga evolved by Rudra, the overlord of the Pashus is known as Pāśhupata yoga, which leads all persons to their blissful prosperity.