" Alone I was at first, (alone) I am and shall be There is none else distinct from Me."

And then was declared by him in the words "I am Brahman, " that the whole universe is his own form. And in the words "He entered the more hidden from (or than) the hidden one " etc, his entering into the universe is given as a reason for the whole universe being his own form. Thus this universe having no orign, existence or end outside Brahman, is not a quite distinct thing from Brahman. Accordingly the learned say: -

"His Saktis or energies (form) the whole world, and the Mahesa or the great lord is the energetic Saktiman. Never can energy exist distinct from the energetic. Unity of these two is eternal, like that of fire and heat, inasmuch as un-separateness always exists between energy and the energetic. Wherefore supreme energy belongs to the supreme Atman, since the two are related to each other as substance and attribute. The energy of heat is not conceived to be distinct from fire" and so on.

Vayu-Samhita too says: (Parva, 25, ch. 18 and 19).

" From Sakti up to earth, (the whole world) is born of the principle Siva. By him alone, it is pervaded, as the jar etc, by clay. His variegated Supreme Sakti, whose form is knowledge and bliss, appears as one and many, like the light of the sun."

The following passage of the Sruti speak of Para-Brahman as possessed of infinite powers of creating, ruling and maintaining the world, all inherent in him.

"His- Supreme Sakti is spoken of as manifold, inherent, endued with the activity of knowledge and life." (Svetas. 6-8).

"One verily is Rudra, - they were not for a second - who rules these worlds with the powers of the ruling." (3-2).

"In short, on the authority of the Sruti, Smriti, Itihasa, Purana, and the saying of the learned, the Supreme Sakti whose manifold manifestation, this whole universe of Chit and Achit is, whose being is composed of Supreme Existence, Intelligence and unlimited by space and time - is inherent in the nature of Siva, the Supreme Brahman, and constitutes His own essential form and quality. Apart from Sakti, He cannot be the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, the cause of all, the all controlling, the all adorable, the all-gracious, the means of attaining all aspirations, and the omnipresent; and, moreover, such grand designations as " Mahesvara", the Supreme Lord, "Mahadeva," the Supreme Deity, and Rudra, the expeller of pain, cannot apply to him. Thus, it is Brahman whose body is the whole sentient and insentient universe, and who is denoted by all words. Just as the word 'blue' denotes not the blue colour only, but also the lotus which is of a blue colour, so does the word 'universe' also denotes Brahman. Therefore such passages as "All is Rudra verily" teach that Brahman is denoted by all words.

Accordingly the passage

"All this, verily, is Brahman" refers to Brahman whose body, the whole of the sentient and unsentient universe is. The universe being thus a form of Brahman and being therefore not an object of hatred etc., let every one be peaceful at heart and worship Brahman. This doctrine is clearly expounded even in the puranic texts such as the following: - "The body of the God of Gods is this universe, moving and unmoving. This, the Jivas (Pasus) do not know, owing to the mighty bondage. They say sentiency is Vidya, and insentiency Avidya. The whole universe of Vidya and Avidya form no doubt the body of the Lord, the first cause of all; for the whole universe is subject to Him."

"The word "sat" is used by the wise to denote the real and the good, 'asat' is used by Vedic teachers to denote the contrary. The whole universe of the sat and the asat is the body of Him who is on high. Just as, by the watering of the roots of a tree, its branches are nourished, so by the worship of Siva, the universe which is His body, is nourished. Atman is the eighth body, of Siva the Paramesvara, pervading all other bodies.

"Wherefore the whole universe is ensouled by Siva. If any embodied being whatsoever be subjected to constraint, it will be quite repugnant to the eight-bodied lord; as to this there is no doubt. Doing good to all, kindness to all, afford-ing shelter to all, this they hold, is the worshipping of Siva," and so on.

"Brahman being all-Formed, it is but right to say "all is Brahman" and every one be peaceful and worship " Brahman." Wherefore it is Brahman who in the opening passage is stated to be the object of worship, that is also spoken of as manomaya^ as partaking of the nature of manas, and so on. Neither should it be supposed that the partaking of the nature of manas is a characteristic mark of a samsarin; for Brahman may , limit Himself by assuming a shape which can form an object of worship."

"That which," therefore, "eternally rests within the Atma," (1 12), "dwells in the cave (of the heart) of all beings," (iii 11), "is the greater than the great, smaller than the small, hidden in the heart of the creature" (iii 20), "hidden in all beings; like the subtle film" (iv 16), "and subtler than subtle" (iv 14), the wise should seize in the body (heart) by means of the pranava, within himself, and by the drill of meditation and penance, (1-14), they should, 'with the mind towards the heart? 'love the old Brahman, by the grace of Savitrl' (Light or Chit-Sakti) (11-7 and 8), 'grasping by the Manas' (Sakti), (v 14), and perceive 'by the heart, by the soul, by the mind,' (iv 17), in the Highest Turiyatita plane, where Siva Dwells alone, the Eternal and the Adorable Light, this most Ancient of Days, Siva the Blissful and Benign Being, the great Purusha of sunlike brilliancy, dwelling in the Highest Vyoma, then their fetters (pasa) fall off, they will cross over to the other shore, after passing through the torrents that cause fear, (ii 8). their darkness (Ahankara, Anava) will vanish, and all material bodies (Maya) will fall off, and they will enter into the supreme Bliss and Peace,