श्रीराम उवाच …



भगवन्देवदेवेश नमस्तेऽस्तु महेश्वर .



उपासनविधिं ब्रूहि देशं कालं च तस्य तु [1]



अङ्गानि नियमांश्चैव मयि तेऽनुग्रहो यदि



ईश्वर उवाच …



शृणु राम प्रवक्ष्यामि देशं कालमुपासने [2]



सर्वाकारोऽहमेवैकः सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः .



मदंशेन परिच्छिन्ना देहाः सर्वदिवौकसाम [3]



ये त्वन्यदेवताभक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विताः .



तेऽपि मामेव राजेन्द्र यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम [4]



यस्मात्सर्वमिदं विश्वं मत्तो न व्यतिरिच्यते .



सर्वक्रियाणां भोक्ताहं सर्वस्याहं फलप्रदः [5]



येनाकारेण ये मर्त्या मामेवैकमुपासते .



तेनाकारेण तेभ्योऽहं प्रसन्नो वाञ्छितं ददे [6]



विधिनाऽविधिना वापि भक्त्या ये मामुपासते .



तेभ्यः फलं प्रयच्छामि प्रसन्नोऽहं न संशयः [7]

Sri Rama said:

O Parahmeshwara! Please preach me the Upasana method, prescribed time, place, rules, etc details.

Sri Bhagawan said:

O Rama! Listen carefully the method and rules of Upasana. The bodies of all deities have been created from my portion only. Therefore whosoever does upasana to whichever deity, all such devotees attain me only. As prescribed in scriptures without realizing the fact that I am the Sarvabhokta (enjoyer of everything), whosoever does upasana he gets limited fruition. This creation is not different from me, hence the target of all kriyas and giver of the related fruits is also me only. Whichever form of god one worships, in that form itself I appear and fulfil their wishes. Either by destiny, or by devotion when I am worshiped I give fruits to every such person.

अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक .



साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः [8]



स्वजीवत्वेन यो वेत्ति मामेवैकमनन्यधीः .



तं न स्पृशन्ति पापानि ब्रह्महत्यादिकान्यपि [9]



उपासाविधयस्तत्र चत्वारः परिकीर्तिताः .



संपदारोपसंवर्गाध्यासा इति मनीषिभिः [10]



अल्पस्य चाधिकत्वेन गुणयोगाद्विचिन्तनम .



अनन्तं वै मन इति संपद्विधिरुदीरितः [11]

Even if a sinner being remorseful, if does Upasana to me such a sinner would be hailed as equalent to a forest recluse sage. One who keeps firm devotion in me and sees no difference between him and me, such a devotee, would remain unstained even by Brahmahatya sin! Scholars categorized the Upasana as being of four types viz. Sampada, ropam, Samvargam, Adhyasa. Due to the relation with qualities, seeing little as more s called as Sampad vidhi.

N.B:- Here whatever Lord Shiva mentioned about the grace what he confers on his devotees, same is stated in mahabharata by sage Upamanyu in more detail. He says that whosoever remains devoted to Shankara, even if he is a great sinner, remains untouched with sins and becomes as high as a saint. Mahabharata narrates Lord Shiva’s grace in a very detailed manner which is out of scope of this text. The sum and substance is, there is no other grace higher than the grace of Lord Shiva. A devotee of Shiva would never fall. Such is the bond between the devotee and the supreme godhead – lord Shiva!

विधावारोप्य योपासा सारोपः परिकीर्तितः .



यद्वदोङ्कारमुद्गीथमुपासीतेत्युदाहृतः [12]



आरोपो बुद्धिपूर्वेण य उपासाविधिश्च सः .



योषित्यग्निमतिर्यत्तदध्यासः स उदाहृतः [13]



क्रियायोगेन चोपासाविधिः संवर्ग उच्यते .



संवर्तवायुः प्रलये भूतान्येकोऽवसीदति [14]



उपसंगम्य बुद्ध्या यदासनं देवतात्मना .



तदुपासनमन्तः स्यात्तद्बहिः संपदादयः [15]



ज्ञआनान्तरानन्तरितसजातिज्ञआनसंहतेः .



संपन्नदेवतात्मत्वमुपासनमुदीरितम [16]



संपदादिषु बाह्येषु दृढबुद्धिरुपासनम .



कर्मकाले तदङ्गेषु दृष्टिमात्रमुपासनम .



उपासनमिति प्रोक्तं तदङ्गानि ब्रुवे शृणु [17]



तीर्थक्षेत्रादिगमनं श्रद्धां तत्र परित्यजेत .



स्वचित्तैकाग्रता यत्र तत्रासीत सुखं द्विजः [18]



कम्बले मृदुतल्पे वा व्याघ्रचर्मणि वास्थितः .



विविक्तदेशे नियतः समग्रीवशिरस्तनुः [19]



अत्याश्रमस्थः सकलानीन्द्रियाणि निरुध्य च .



भक्त्याथ स्वगुरुं नत्वा योगं विद्वान्प्रयोजयेत [20]



यस्त्वविज्ञआनवान्भवत्ययुक्तमनसा सदा .



तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वाइव सारथेः [21]



Aforementioned Sampada etc. outward style of Upasana is called as Drudhabuddhi upasana. Meditating by focusing within oneself is called Upasana. Now I would explain the detail Angas of Upasana. Wherever one’s mind, focus and heart gets firmly established in Upasana one can sit and perform Upasana there itself. Visiting sacred places of pilgrimage for Upasana is useless indeed. One should sit in a peaceful place on a seat made of any soft cloth or tiger skin, should keep his back straight, should keep his head, throat and back firm and straight in one line. Then he should apply the holy ash (Vibhooti) on his body, and by subduing his senses with firm devotion should salute his Guru in his heartand should start the Yoga. One who doesn’t keep his mind in his control, his senses also remain like the uncontrolled horses.

विज्ञआनी यस्तु भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा .



तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः [22]

Whosoever is a viJnani, his mind remains under his control and his senses remain subdued. one who has no wisdom, and one who is not of cleansed soul, such a person doesn’t attain to liberation and he falls into the ocean of samsaara taking births again and again.

यस्त्वविज्ञआनवान भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः .



न स तत्पदमाप्नोति संसारमधिगच्छति [23]



विज्ञआनी यस्तु भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः .



स तत्पदमवाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते [24]

A wise man whose mind and senses are controlled, being of a cleansed soul, and attains liberation. Vijnana (knowledge) being the charioteer, mind being the reins, senses the horses, and body being the chariot; one who has these qualities, he reaches the final destination that is me. He becomes one in me. One should keep his heart free from Rajoguna, should keep the heart pure and should have the vision of Paramatma residing inside which is me only.

विज्ञआनसारथिर्यस्तु मनः प्रग्रह एव च .



सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति ममैव परमं पदम [25]



हृत्पुण्डरीकं विरजं विशुद्धं विशदं तथा .



विशोकं च विचिन्त्यात्र ध्यायेन्मां परमेश्वरम [26]



अचिन्त्यरूपमव्यक्तमनन्तममृतं शिवम .



आदिमध्यान्तरहितं प्रशान्तं ब्रह्म कारणम [27]



एकं विभुं चिदानन्दमरूपमजमद्भुतम .



शुद्धस्फटिकसंकाशमुमादेहार्धधारिणम [28]



व्याघ्रचर्माम्बरधरं नीलकण्ठं त्रिलोचनम .



जटाधरं चन्द्रमौलिं नागयज्ञओपवीतिनम [29]



व्याघ्रचर्मोत्तरीयं च वरेण्यमभयप्रदम .



पराभ्यामूर्ध्वहस्ताभ्यां बिभ्राणं परशुं मृगम [30]



कोटिमध्याह्नसूर्याभं चन्द्रकोटिसुशीतलम .



चन्द्रसूर्याग्निनयनं स्मेरवक्त्रसरोरुहम [31]



भूतिभूषितसर्वाङ्गं सर्वाभरणभूषितम .



एवमात्मारणिं कृत्वा प्रणवं चोत्तरारणिम .



ध्याननिर्मथनाभ्यासात्साक्षात्पश्यति मां जनः [32]

The one who is beyond the mind, who is beyond the tasks of creation-maintenance-destruction, who is immersed in the bliss of the wisdom, who has a crystal like splendor, who is of androgenous form (Ardhanareeshwara), who wears tiger skin as the garments, who has his hand in blessing posture, the blue necked, three eyed, who holds axe and deer with his upper hands, who smears ash on his body, such a picture of mine has to be meditated by the yogi. Considering the Atman as the upper fire stick, considering the Omkara as the lower fire stick, when the Yogi rubes them together under the process of knowledge, it gives him the flame of my vision.

वेदवाक्यैरलभ्योऽहं न शास्त्रैर्नापि चेतसा .



ध्यानेन वृणुते यो मां सर्वदाहं वृणोमि तम [33]



नाविरतो दुश्चरितान्नाशान्तो नासमाहितः .



नाशान्तमानसो वापि प्रज्ञआनेन लभेत माम [34]



जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्यादिप्रपञ्चो यः प्रकाशते .



तद्ब्रह्माहमिति ज्ञआत्वा सर्वबन्धैः प्रमुच्यते [35]



त्रिषु धामसु यद्भोग्यं भोक्ता भोगश्च यद्भवेत .



तज्ज्योतिर्लक्षणः साक्षी चिन्मात्रोऽहं सदाशिवः [36]



Either by reciting Vedas, or by learning scriptures, one cannot obtain me. But one who with a cleansed heart meditates or thinks of me, i get pleased with such a pure devotee and become trapped in his devotion. An unrighteous person, a disturbed soul, one not having a cleansed heart, such a person cannot get me (or attain me). I can be obtained only through Tatwa-jnanam. Jagrut-swapna-sushupti etc whatever creation exists that parabrahman is nothing but me, this fact whichever person realizes he becomes freed from the bonds of samsaara and gets liberated. In the three stages of Jagrut-swapna-sushupti, the object of enjoyment, the enjoyer (bhokta) and the enjoyment itself (bhukta), these three states are also the divine me the Sadashiva!

एको देवः सर्वभूतेषु गूढः

सर्वव्यापी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा .



सर्वाध्यक्षः सर्वभूताधिवासः

साक्षी चेता केवलो निर्गुणश्च [37]



एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा – प्येकं

बीजं नित्यदा यः करोति .



तं मां नित्यं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीरा – स्तेषां

शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम [38]



अग्निर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो

रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव .



एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा

न लिप्यते लोकदुःखेन बाह्यः [39]



वेदेह यो मां पुरुषं महान्त – मादित्यवर्णं

तमसः परस्तात .



स एव विद्वानमृतोऽत्र भूया – न्नान्यस्तु

पन्था अयनाय विद्यते [40]



Having a splendor as bright as billions of suns, having coolness as cool as billions of moons, such a face of mine having sun, moon and fire as the eyes, you should think of. The all pervading, one, residing in the hearts of all creatures, such a formless brahman is me who is the witnesser of everything. one who meditates on me seeing me in all creatures, such a yogi gets permanant rest called liberation. Others do not gain this. The way one single fire appears in various colors and forms while burning in various places yet it remains formless everywhere; the same way despite residing inside various forms I remain untouched with all kinds of happiness & sorrows and remain unique. One who realizes me as the one ancient Purusha of Vedas, having sun like splendor, a high souled one, such a human gains liberation. There is no other way to liberation than knowing me in reality.

हिरण्यगर्भं विदधामि पूर्वं

वेदांश्च तस्मै प्रहिणोमि योऽहम .



तं देवमीड्यं पुरुषं पुराणं

निश्चित्य मां मृत्युमुखात्प्रमुच्यते [41]



एवं शान्त्यादियुक्तः सन वेत्ति मां तत्त्वतस्तु यः .



निर्मुक्तदुःखसंतानः सोऽन्ते मय्येव लीयते [42]

One who knows me as the ancient being who at the beginning gave birth to Brahma (hiranyagarbha) and gave him the Vedas, one who realizes me as the ancient Purusha, as the one worshipable lord of all Devas; such a Yogi doesn’t fall into the mouth of death. One who knows me in aforementioned manner and has subdued his senses, is peaceful; such a one merges in me.

### Here ends the 12th chapter of Shiva Gita from Padma Purana Uttara Khanda ###