Shiva Sutras are a collection of seventy-seven aphorisms attributed to the Kashmir sage
Vasugupta. It is said that Vasugupta received these verses in a dream by Shiva who told him to go up to the top of a nearby mountain, and find a rock inscribed with the verses, and entrusting him with the task of spreading the non-dualism.
śivasūtra prathama unmeṣa
1-1 caitanyamātmā
Consciousness is the being.
1-2 jñānaṃ bandhaḥ
Knowledge is bondage.
1-3 yonivargaḥ kalāśarīram
The yoni divisions are the body of time.
1-4 jñānādhiṣṭhānaṃ mātṛkā
The matrikas are the seat of knowledge.
1-5 udyamo bhairavaḥ
Endeavour is Bhairava.
1-6 śakticakrasaṃdhāne viśvasaṃhāraḥ
In the union of the centers of the Shaktis is the dissolution of the universe.
1-7 jāgratsvapnasusuptabhede turyābhogasaṃbhavaḥ
The fourth state (transcending consciousness) can be experienced and is contained in the states of waking, dreaming and deep sleeping.
1-8 jñānaṃ jāgrat
Knowledge is the waking state.
1-9 svapno vikalpāḥ
False imagining is the dream state.
1-10 avivekā māyāsausuptam
Want of awareness is Maya, deep sleep.
1-11 tritayabhoktā vīreśaḥ
The one who can experience the three states is the Lord of the senses.
1-12 vismayo yogabhūmikāḥ
Wonderment is the place of yoga.
1-13 icchā śaktirumā kumārī
Iccha Shakti (Will power) is Uma, the Virgin.
1-14 dṛśyaṃ śarīram
All things the body.
1-15 hṛdaye cittasaṃghaṭṭāddṛśyasvāpadarśanam
When the mind is concentrate in the heart, dream vision disappears.
1-16 śuddhatattvasaṃdhanādvā ̕paśuśaktiḥ
From being aware of the pure essence comes the shakti of non-duality.
1-17 vitarka ātmajñānam
Right discernment is knowledge of the self.
1-18 lokānandaḥ samādhisukham
World bliss is the joy of samadhi.
1-19 śaktisaṃdhāne śarīrotpattiḥ
In the abode of Shakti is creation of the body.
1-20 bhūtasaṃdhānabhūtapṛthaktvaviśvasaṃghaṭṭāḥ
Elements unite, elements separate, and the entire universe is understudied.
1-21 śuddhavidyodayāccakreśatvasiddhiḥ
From pure knowledge come the many Shaktis of the Lord of the wheel of energies.
1-22 mahāhradānusaṃdhānān mantravīryānubhavaḥ
By concentrating on the transcendent lake of female energy, the power of mantra is obtained.
śivasūtra dvitīya unmeṣa
2-1 cittaṃ mantraḥ
The mind becomes mantra.
2-2 prayatnaḥ sādhakaḥ
Effort is the method.
2-3 vidyāśarīrasattā mantrarahasyam
The secret of mantra is the being of the body of knowledge.
2-4 garbhe cittavikāso ̕viśiṣṭavidyāsvapnaḥ
In the womb state of consciousness expansion is the inferior knowledge of the dream state.
2-5 vidyāsamutthāne svābhāvike khecarī śivāvasthā
In the arising spontaneous of Vidya (the knowledge) one may move in the void, like Shiva.
2-6 gururupāyaḥ
By means of the guru.
2-7 mātṛkācakrasaṃbodhaḥ
Awakened knowledge is the circle of the letters of the alphabet (Matrika).
2-8 śarīraṃ haviḥ
The body is the sacrifical ladle.
2-9 jñānamannam
Knowledge is the food.
2-10 vidyāsaṃhāre tadutthasvapnadarśanam
With the extinction of knowledge emerges the vision of the dream state.
śivasūtra
tṛtīya unmeṣa
3-1 ātmā cittam
The being is consciousness.
3-2 jñānaṃ bandhaḥ
Knowledge is the fetters.
3-3 kalādīnāṃ tattvānāmaviveko māyā
From the Kalas (principles of transformation), the thing called non-discrimination, Maya.
3-4 śarīre saṃhāraḥ kalānām
In the body is the dissolution of the Kalas.
3-5 nāḍīsaṃhārabhūtajayabhūtakaivalyabhūtapṛthaktvāni
The nadi (the vital channels) dissolution is the victory over the elements, freedom from the elements, and separation of the elements.
3-6 mohāvaraṇātsiddhiḥ
Attaining perfection from the veil of delusion.
3-7 mohajayādanantābhogāt sahajavidyājayaḥ
The victory over delusion is the victory of spontaneous knowledge, which is of endless extent.
3-8 jāgrad dvitīyakaraḥ
Waking state is the second ray of consciousness.
3-9 nartaka ātmā
The Self is the dancer.
3-10 raṅgo ̕ntarātmā
The inner Self is the theatre stage.
3-11 prekṣakāṇīndriyāṇi
The sense organs are the audience.
3-12 dhīvaśāt sattvasiddhiḥ
The pure state is achieved by the power of the intellect.
3-13 siddhaḥ svatantrabhāvaḥ
Accomplishment means transformation into independence.
3-14 yathā tatra tathānyatra
As there, so elsewhere.
3-15 bījāvadhānam
Attention is the Bija (seed).
3-16 āsanasthaḥ sukhaṃ hrade nimajjati
Asana is the happiness of immersion in Shakti.
3-17 svamātrānirmāṇam āpādayati
One's own measure is the measure suitable for measuring, giving guidance.
3-18 vidyā ̕vināśe janmavināśaḥ
Imperishable knowledge means destruction of births.
3-19 kavargādiṣu māheśvaryādyāḥ paśumātaraḥ
In the Ka-series of letters reside Maheshvari and so forth, the mothers of beasts.
3-20 triṣu caturthaṃ tailavad āsecyam
Pour the fourth (state of consciousness - Turiya) in the three like sesame oil diffusing in water.
3-21 magnaḥ svacittena praviśet
One should enter, completely immersed, by one's own consciousness.
3-22 prāṇasamācāre samadarśanam
Equally the practice of breath produces a similar sight.
3-23 madhye 'varaprasavaḥ
In the center, emanating the lower.
3-24 mātrāsvapratyayasaṃdhāne naṣṭasya punarutthānam
What was destroyed rises again by the joining of perceptions with the objects of experience.
3-25 śivatulyo jāyate
One knows equality with Shiva.
3-26 śarīravṛttirvratam
The existence of the body becomes a religious vow.
3-27 kathā japaḥ
Conversation is mantra recitation.
3-28 dānam ātmajñānam
The act of offering is Self-knowledge.
3-29 yo ̕vipastho jñāhetuś ca
Whosoever is in this state is the means of knowledge.
3-30 svaśaktipracayo viśvam
The universe becomes an aggregate of his powers.
3-31 sthitilayau
Both maintenance and dissolution.
3-32 tatpravṛttāvapyanirāsaḥ saṃvettṛbhāvāt
Though subject to the cyclic law (maintenance and dissolution), one is not excluded from self-experience
3-33 sukhāsukhayorbahirmananam
Happiness and sadness become external.
3-34 tadvimuktastu kevalī
Set free from that, one is complete.
3-35 mohapratisaṃhatastu karmātmā
The being of action is a heap of delusion.
3-36 bhedatiraskāre sargāntarakarmatvam
When separateness is gone, action can lead to creation.
3-37 karaṇaśaktiḥ svato ̕nubhavāt
The power to create is based on one's own experience.
3-38 tripadādyanuprāṇanam
One should vitalize the three states with Turiya.
3-39 cittasthitivaccharīrakaraṇabāhyeṣu
As in the case of the states of the mind, so also in the case of the body, organs of sense, and external things, there should be vitalization with the bliss of the transcendental consciousness.
3-40 abhilāṣād bahirgatiḥ saṃvāhyasya
Because of desire for external objects the bound soul undergoes birth and rebirth.
3-41 tadārūḍhapramitestatkṣayājjīvasaṃkṣayaḥ
When established in pure awareness (Turiya), the desire is destroyed and the state of empirical individual (Jiva) ceases to exist.
3-42 bhūtakañcukī tadā vimukto bhūyaḥ patisamaḥ paraḥ
Then ending of desire, he uses the body of gross elements as covering, but he is liberated and perfect like Shiva.
3-43 naisargikaḥ prāṇasaṃbandhaḥ
Connection with vital breath is natural.
3-44 nāsikāntarmadhyasaṃyamātkimatra savyāpasavyasauṣumneṣu
Concentrating on the center within the nose, what use are the left and the right channels (Ida, Pingala) or Susumna?
3-45 bhūyaḥ syātpratimīlanam
The yogi experiences both internal and external awareness of the Divine.
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
