15 - The form of the Supreme Lord

Sanatkumara said:

1. O chieftain of the goblins, O highly intellgent, of great qualities, thou art omniscient, recount once more the grandeur of Shiva.

Sailadi said:

2. O sage, listen to the greatness of Shiva which I shall tell you now. It has already been mentioned by many excellent sages in different words.

3. The wise speak of Shiva of the form of “Sat” and “Asat” 125 as also the lord of “Sat” and “Asat” and the sages say also the same.

125. sad-asad-rupam. According to ST. this refers to the doctrine of Nyaya philosophy. The all-pervading ord is eternal (nitya) as well as non-eternal (anitya). This latter quality he derives from his functions as Jiva.

4. With the effect of the living beings for its second, the manifest 126 is called existent and the unmanifest 127 is called non-existent because it has no second.

126. ST. offers another interpretation of ‘sad-asad’ 'sad' is manifest (vyakta) while ‘asad’ is unmanifest (avyakta). In fact, manifest (vyakta) and unmanifest (avyakta) are the attributes of prakruti-pradhana while the lord is the cognizer (Jna) of both — prakruti as well as pradhana.

5. Both the existent and the non-existent are the forms of Shiva. There is nothing else other than Shiva. Since he is the lord of both of them, Shiva is called Sadasatpati.

6. Some sages who ponder over realities speak of Shiva Maheshvara as ksharakyaratmaka 128 identical with the perishable and the imperishable as well as that which is beyond.

127-128. The lord is kshara — perishable as well as imperishable. Since he is all-pervasive, he identifies himself with the perishable beings, Jiva etc. he is therefore called kshara. He is alio called imperishable (akshara) because he is ever existent.

7. The unmanifest is called imperishable and the manifest is cited as perishable. These are the two forms of Shankara alone; and there is nothing greater 129 than himself.

129. The lord is characterized by both forms —kshara and akshara (ubhe te Shivarupe). He is rightly called na parah (-aparah), i.e. not any other. According to ST. this is Sankhya doctrine.

8. Shiva is greater than both the perishable and the imperishable. So he i.e. Mahadeva Mahshvara, is verily called ksharaksharapara by the learned.

9. On pondering over all forms of the manifest, it is found that they exist collectively and individually. Therefore, He (Shiva) is said to be the cause for Samashti and Vyashti.

10. Others 130 speak of him as the greatest cause. The leading sages know Samashti as the unmanifest and Vyashti as the manifest.

130. acharyah. According to ST. this refers to the yogins Matsyendra and others, but this purana cannot be posterior to Matsyendra

11. These two are said to be the forms of Shiva. Their origin from another source is not possible. It is, indeed, by virtue of being the cause of both the collective and the individual that Shiva is known as Parameshvara.

12. Shiva is mentioned as the cause of both Samashti and Vyashti by those who are conversant with the yoga philosophy. By some Shiva is cited as existing in the form of body as well as soul.131

131. kshetra-kshetrajnarupin — this refers to the doctrine of Vedantins.

13-14. Shiva, lord Parameshvara is the greatest Atman, the greatest brilliance. The learned say that the twentyfour principles constitute the body and they speak of Purusha the enjoyer by the word Kshetrajna. These two, viz., the Kshetra and Kshetrajna are the forms of that self-born deity.

15-18. The learned say that there is nothing else other than Shiva. They call the worldly matter consisting of elements, sense-organs, the inner organ, (will, etc.)132 Pradhana etc. as the Aparabrahma 133 form. Some say that Shiva is in the form of the supreme Brahman and the lord has neither beginning nor end. The paramabrahman is of the form of consciousness. In fact, the form of Mahesha, Shiva the self-born deity is Brahman.

132. apara-brahma-rupam — shabda-brahmadirupam ST. of the form of brahma as sound.

133. According to some acharyas, the lord is identical with the subtle elements.

It is that of Shankara the great being. There is nothing other than Shiva. By some, Shankara is said to be of the form of Vidya and Avidya.

19. The primordial lord Shiva is the creator and ordainer of worlds. The leading sages call him alone as Vidya and Avidya.

20-26. The entire universe consists of these two forms of the self-born lord. The excellent forms of Shiva are Bhranti, Vidya and Param. Some sages 134 who are conversant with the scriptural texts have attained the excellent form of Shiva by means of yoga. The perception of objects of multifarious forms is called Bhranti. The cognition in the form of the Atman is known as Vidya. The principle devoid of alternatives or doubts is called Param which is the third form of Isha. There is nothing else other than these three. By some he is said to be of the form of Vyakta, Avyakta and Jna. Paramesh vara is the ordainer and the creator of all the worlds. Poets mean by the word Vyakta the twentythree principles 135 and by the word Avyakta the unmanifest Prakruti. They denote Purusha, the enjoyer of the Gunas. by the word Jna. These three are the forms of Shankara. There is nothing else which is “not Shankara.”

134. According to ST. this refers to yoga-vedantins.

135. The twentythree tattvas constitute Prakruti — the manifest form of pradhana.