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SHIVA RAHASYA46. The Universe is born of Him and in Him alone it dissolves. He is the Master of the MagicPower whereby He assumes various forms while remaining ever-unaffected and unchanged.47. The Self is not subject to the cycle of birth and death. He is not the physical World, beingneither Earth, nor Water, Fire, Wind nor Sky.48. The Self is neither physical objects, nor the bodily frame; neither the breath, nor the mind;neither matter nor non-matter. He is neither sound, nor touch, nor colour and form, nor taste, norsmell, nor the Ego, nor yet a limited person who thinks, feels, speaks and acts.49. O holy ones! the Self is neither a sense organ, nor the foot, neither the anus, nor the genitals.He is neither inanimate Matter, nor a living Person. In truth, the Conscious Self is neither theBreath of Life, nor the Void of sleep, nor even the Cosmic Play of Magic.50. For all these pass away like waves upon the Sea. But the Self is the Imperishable,Changeless, Undying, Undecaying, Self-Existing, Self-Supporting Sea of Consciousness Itself.The Changeless Witness of all that passes.51. This World consists of the five senses, hearing, seeing and the rest. The One Supreme Self isdifferent from this even as light is different from darkness. As shade and light are different fromeach other in this World, so indeed the material World and the Self-Luminous Self are different.52. Were the Self to be in any way soiled or impure, created and changeable, it could neverbecome Perfect even in hundreds of lifetimes. Nor would there be any escape from that which isimperfect.53. The Awakened Ones perceive their Perfect Self as intrinsically free from defects or change,free from the pairs of opposites such as light and darkness, cold and heat, pleasure and pain. Theyrealise that the Self is eternally blissful and unchanging.54. Such thoughts as, I am doing this or that, I am happy or unhappy, I am slender or stout andthe like, are created by the mind of incognizant folk and superimposed upon the Perfect Self.55. Having created a thought, through repetition man identifies therewith and believes himself tobe that, regardless of his true nature. O Sages of broad understanding! Man is called Man (Manu)because he is determined by his Mind (Manas). Verily, what Man thinks, that he becomes. Underthe influence of material existence, the Self who is by birth a God, thinks himself to be a Man,and a Man he at last becomes.56. Elevating himself by noble thoughts, he becomes again Divine. Remembering Me, the AllSource, he and I are Reunited. For, all things come from Me and to Me they shall return. This isthe Eternal Law (Sanatana Dharma).57. Truly, those who know the Truth declare that the Self is the All-Witness, beyond the Sphereof Matter. It is the Universal Enjoyer, deathless, omnipresent, perfect and ever-free.58. Hence, all embodied beings remain subject to worldly existence as a result of ignorance(avidya), which is not knowing the Truth. Due to ignorance and wrong knowledge, Reality isconfused with Matter.7

SHIVA RAHASYA59. As a deluded king who believes himself to be a ploughman takes to ploughing a delimitedfield when the whole wide World is his, even so, though the ever-shining, self-luminous Self isimmensely vast and all-pervading, due to the thoughtlessness and lack of discernment of theunawakened mind, man believes himself to be a limited, individual thing and lives a diminutivelife.60. The Sages realise that the Self is Uncreated, Unborn, Formless, Self-Existing, Changeless,Eternal and Pure, whilst Matter is Created, Born, Many-Formed, Dependent On The Self, EverChanging, Transient and Tainted. But the ignorant, immersed in worldly existence like a manenmeshed in a dream, sees nothing but Matter and believes that to be the Supreme. Thus, the Self,though pure, changeless and perfect, has the qualities of Matter attributed to It, by association.61. Deceived by the deluded mind, the ignorant does not comprehend that his own Self is inreality the imperishable Ultimate, the Perfect One. Thus he confuses the Self with the not-Selfand the not-Self with the Self. He knows not what is Real and what is only a Dream. Ignorant ofwhat is good and what is evil, he shuns what is right and craves what is wrong. Hence he sufferslike a man whose mind is overcome by delusion.62. Verily from lack of Awareness, there arises Self-forgetfulness. From that springs wrongknowledge. From wrong knowledge comes greed, lust, envy, hatred and other defects of themind. Moreover, man reaps the fruits of his own actions. And actions are done according to hisknowledge. Therefore, the performance of actions that spring from wrong knowledge is thegreatest defect of all.63. It is due to this cause that men are invested with different kinds of physical bodies andminds. For, one is born with a body and mind that correspond to the inner latent tendencies onehas developed in a previous existence. All bodies are born of mind. And the mind is nothing butthe light of the Soul tinted by latent tendencies acquired in the past. Therefore, know thatwhatsoever corporeal form a Soul assumes in this life or the next, the same will reflect his mentalstate, even as the light that passes through a coloured gem (assumes that very colour).64. Verily, this is a matter a million times true: whether in this World or the next, in Heaven oron Earth, whatever comes to pass in the Three Worlds, know that there is a meaning and a reasonto all things. The World was not created in vain but with a purpose. And so it is with all otherthings: in every thing there is a sign that teaches man a hidden secret.65. This is known to Me, the Wise One Who See all things from Above and to those (the Yogis)who dwell in Unity with Me but not to any others. For, the others, being as if asleep and everimmersed in vain thoughts, even if the Truth were shown them, they would see It not.66. Therefore, let all those who yearn after knowledge of the Truth listen to My Word of Truththat they may see the Truth. For, only by seeing the Truth shall their Souls find Peace and neverotherwise.67. Truth is the remedy for all sorrows: It frees the Soul from the burdens of the World. Byhearing the Truth, bound Souls remember their Self. Remembering the Self, they know that as airis present both within and without a jar, so the Self, being Omnipresent, lies both concealedwithin oneself, and pervades everywhere without. It is eternal, free and ever-stainless.8

SHIVA RAHASYA68. Although It is One, It appears as Many through Its Magic Power and not due to Its inherentnature. For this reason, the Knowers of Truth bear witness that the Truth is One (Satyam Ekam).69. As the Sky does not become soiled through contact with clouds and the Sun is everuntouched by darkness, even so the various activities of the mind such as thoughts, feelings orsense perceptions, do not affect the Perfect Self. Only the mind and the body, being by natureimperfect, are affected thereby.70. As a pure crystal shines by virtue of its own lustre, as the Sun shines unaided by any lamp,as the Lightning blazes across the Sky independently of man-made fire, even so does the pureSelf shine independently of any conditioning cause.71. Wise men regard this Universe as being made of knowledge. For it arises from the waves ofthought dancing upon the surface of the Ocean of Universal Consciousness. That GreatIntelligence Which is Boundless and Radiant Beyond Measure, fashions thought from Its rays oflight. Thought gives rise to perceptions; and perceptions make up the objects of the World.72. Thus men of Higher Vision know that the World is made of Knowledge. Yet the dim-sightedsee it as nothing but physical matter and objects. Their vision being faulty and blunt, they see notbeyond the surface. Verily, the Self or Spirit is by nature changeless, omnipresent Consciousness,beyond material attributes. But it is held to be insentient matter by men of wrong knowledge. Foronly the Perfect Ones can see what is Perfect.73. As the pure crystal when in contact with a red object like the seeds of the Gunja-berryappears to be red, or a looking-glass appears to take the shape of the objects reflected therein,even so the Great Being is perceived in the form of objects though remaining distinct from, andunaffected by, the same. As sunlight shines in many colours as it passes through a shower of rain,so the Great Lord (Maheshvara) appears as this many-formed World when seen through the eyesof mortal men. Verily, the World is He and nothing else. This is the Truth and the Good Tidingsthat I Myself bring unto the World.74. They who know this shall be safely guided to the Abode of That Which Ever Is. But theothers shall abide in darkness. Verily you who have seen My Divine Self are very fortunateindeed! In My Visible Form you have a Sign from the Unseen that you may know His Glory andfollow His Will. But those who have seen Me not, will be troubled by doubt and in their anguishwill ask, My Lord, how may we know that the Divine Self Is? Now of these, there are three kinds,the stubborn and the proud that doubt My Word and seek to try you; the thoughtful that yearn fora reasoned answer; and the believers who desire to have their faith confirmed.75. Say to the stubborn and proud: O you of little faith! life on Earth lasts but a moment. Beforeyou know it, you are overcome by Death. Of this there can be no doubt. If, at the end of your lifeyou find that there is no Afterlife and no God, then you shall have no reason for concern. For, hethat no longer is, has no concerns. But if at the end of this life you find that there is an Afterlifeand a God, then you shall be overcome by remorse. Thus you shall cry, Alas! would that I had notcome hither unprepared. For, you will go to an unknown place unprepared, like a fool who setsoff upon a long journey with no provisions and no knowledge of the land he is bound for.Therefore, beware! do not knowingly walk in the footsteps of fools. Think not that yourknowledge is faultless and that there is no one above you whose knowledge is best. You havebeen forewarned.9

SHIVA RAHASYA76. Say to the thinking man: Do you believe in Love, Beauty and Joy? Do you believe in Truth,Justice and Goodness? If so, then you believe in God. For God Is Truth, Goodness and Beauty.He Is also the Force that drives man to seek, and empowers him to appreciate and enjoy, thesethings. Verily, God is all that and much more beside. If all this is, then God Is, too. Open youreyes and see! Up there, the Sun, the Moon and the shining Stars forever mark the day and night,the fortnight, the month, the seasons, the year and the space of many years. From the smallestatom to the Universe itself, all is established in Perfect Harmony and Order. Say, could all this bewithout a Wise Creator?77. Furthermore, how does a new-born babe know how to suck at his mother's breast? and whotaught the weaver-bird the art of building handsome nests? who teaches the duckling how toswim and the diver to dive in search of fish? who tells bird, insect and beast when and how to goto far-off places where they have never been before? how do a myriad ants in their nest, a flock ofthousand birds and a shoal of countless fish all move without hindering each other, all as if one,and all in peace? How, indeed, if not by the Power of the Mighty One, the Lord Who lives in allthings and upon Whom all things depend even as a kingdom rests upon a mighty king?Assuredly, there is a clear sign in all this.78. But if you cannot see, then at least believe. Faith is the Guide and the Light of him thatcannot see. And believing, you shall be guided and not go astray. Therefore, let those who arewithout sight follow the guidance of one who is wise. Verily, there is time both before and behindthe present moment. Likewise, there is life before this life just as there was a life behind it. Forlife is neverending. That from Which all life comes is the Great Life, the Great Lord Who Ever Is.From Him we bring you this Revelation that you may know His Truth and follow His Will. Thosewho believe shall have nothing to fear in this life nor in the next.79. And unto the believer, say: All life comes from the Lord, the Great Life. You, a living Soul,are but a Spark from that Great Light. Look deep into your heart and you shall find all that youseek. Verily, the Soul is the keeper of all great secrets. In the silence of your heart, listen to theSoul's whisper. He will enlighten you with Wisdom and Truth, whereas the mind only confoundsyou with its imaginations, delusions and its doubts.80. Speak the plain Truth unto all men who wish to know and let the unbelievers go their ownway. But by those who are Seekers of Perfection, the Self shall ever be worshipped, meditatedupon and heard about as being Ever-Existing, Stainless, Unchanged, All-Pervading, Perfect andFree.81. The Light Whereby both Day and Night are seen, Which sees Itself and all other things,Which depends on none other but Itself, That, O you who are most wise! is the Light ofConsciousness, the Great Unseen.82. Him Who is the Constant among the inconstant, the Intelligence among intelligences, theOne among the many, the Unseen among the seen, Who grants all desires, Whom Yogis perceiveas abiding in themselves, by knowing Him and not otherwise one attains Eternal Peace.83. When by means of Yoga man comes to perceive nothing but Consciousness everywhere, hebecomes a Perfect Knower of the Self. He abides in the Self and abiding Therein he knows It likeunto his own self. When he perceives all living beings as abiding in the Self and the Self in allliving beings, he realises the Supreme.10

SHIVA RAHASYA84. Having realised the Highest, the Soul abides in the state of Unified Consciousness(Samadhi), wherein he perceives not the multitude of living beings but only the One. Then he isOne with the Supreme Self and has attained the state of Absolute Being.85. When the Soul has perceived the Truth, all the passions that cleave to the heart drop off, andhaving become pure, he attains Perfection. Verily, he acquires a living body of light and becomesan Immortal in this very life. When he realises the whole diversity of living things as existing inthe One and as born of that One, he attains the Highest.86. When he sees the Absolute Self as a real experience, and the entire Universe as immateriallike an illusion, he experiences the Highest Bliss (Paramananda).87. When one attains Perfect Knowledge of the Supreme Being (Para Satta), the Sole Remedyfor the sorrows of birth, old age and all kinds of ailments, he becomes One with Shiva, the Lordof those who are Perfect.88. Just as rivers large and small merge with the Ocean and become one with it, even so the Soulbecomes one with the Deathless and Unblemished Reality.89. As the diverse sweet juices are extracted from different flowers and mingled into honey by abee, even so the Souls human and Divine are indistinguishably United with each other: as a Cloudjoining another Cloud, as Water joining Water, and a Flame joining another Flame.90. Verily, there is nothing in the Three Worlds save God, Soul and Mind. When the Mind hasbeen stilled, Soul and God alone remain. When Soul is no longer distracted by Mind, he sees Godface to face and is lost in His Infinite Embrace.91. Therefore, Knowledge of the Supreme alone exists. Neither the World nor its existence isreal by comparison. This fact is known to the Enlightened Ones in Heaven whose names areestablished among the Radiant Stars.92. However, in this World, Perfect Knowledge lies in a shroud of ignorance as a lump of goldis covered in dirt and as the Sun is shrouded in clouds. Those who possess not the PerfectKnowledge of Yoga, are deluded and led astray by ignorance which is knowledge imperfect,defective and false.93. Perfect Knowledge is without defect, subtle, free from doubts and ever-changeless.Everything else is imperfect knowledge (Ajnana). The thorough realisation of this is calledPerfect Knowledge (Vijnana).94. This, O noble ones! is the Teaching of the Insight into Reality which is called ExcellentKnowledge. It is the essence of all Spiritual Teachings. The practice of Yoga is the single-mindedconcentration upon this Knowledge.95. Knowledge is born of Yoga and Yoga is established by means of Knowledge. There isnothing that cannot be accomplished by one who is endowed with both Yoga and Knowledge.96. That which is attained by means of Yoga is also attained through Spiritual Knowledge.Therefore, he who sees Spiritual Knowledge and Yoga as one, sees things as they really are.11

SHIVA RAHASYA97. O you foremost among the faithful! other men being attached to material lordship, becomeengrossed in various activities conducive to such aims. So also, those whose intellects areimpaired and dull. When physical life comes to an end, however, one who possesses SpiritualKnowledge and Yoga shall attain to the great and pure Lordship of Heaven which is honoured byall.98. I Myself am that Great Lord (Maheshvara), Whose Lordship is attainable through Yoga. Iam the Unseen Master of the Cosmic Magic (Maya), the Greatest God. I am glorified in the trueScriptures as the Self of all and having faces in all directions. I am the Perfect One Who See allthings from Above, the Witness of all that passes.99. I hold within Me all forms, flavours, fragrances and sounds. I am free from old age anddeath. I have hands and feet all around. I can reach where birds do not fly. I am the eternal Soulof all things. Without hand or foot I am swift and can grasp. I abide in the heart of all. I can seeeven without eyes and hear without ears. I perceive all hidden secrets from within. I am theWitness of all.100. Though I know all these, no one knows Me. The Seers of Truth alone know Me as the One,Unique, Great Being. Only Sages endowed with perfect sight see the true nature of the Self. Theysee the excellent and immaculate Lordship of the Formless One. For only the Perfect Ones cansee what is Supremely Perfect.101. Now something else is to be understood by those who yearn to know the Truth. For therewill be some among the mortals who will ask, If the Lord is Unseen, Formless and the rest, howthen can He rule this World? Therefore listen you to the plain Truth. I rule the World by Dharma,the World-Supporting Law Eternal. Dharma is My Divine Power Supreme. From That all otherLaws and Powers flow even as rays spring

THE FIRST LIGHT (Chapter One) 1 Wherein His Supreme Majesty Lord Shiva introduces the Eternal Teaching of Yoga to the Four Holy Seers Om is the Eternal Sound Supreme. Of that all other sounds are born. Thus spoke Sage Vyasa, the divinely appointed Compiler and Disseminator of Sacred Scriptu