There is a shloka of Tantra,

Nityaḿ shuddhaḿ nirábhásaḿ nirákáraḿ niraiṋjanam;
Nityabodhaḿ cidánandaḿ Gurubrahma namámyaham.

Nityam means “unchangeable”, that which is permanent, which does not undergo any change. That which is nitya is also known as deva [divinity, god]. Deva is the expression of Paramátman [the Supreme Soul] which is “Sarvadyotanátmakah akhańd́a cidaekarasah”, that is, “which vibrates everything, living or non-living, in the entire creation”. (Akhańd́a means “that which cannot be divided into pieces”. Cidaekarasah means “one who is cognition personified and who has the same flow from anádi [beginninglessness] to ananta [endlessness]”.) This is the meaning of nityam.

“Shuddham”. An object as it should be, in a condition or form as it should be, and remaining in that form or condition, is called shuddha. This word Shuddha is a relative word. Suppose pure ghee is prepared with all the necessary precautions. But will that pure ghee remain pure after ten years? No. So one cannot call that ghee pure, because it does not remains as it was. Even if there is no adulteration, it does not remain as pure as it was when originally prepared. It undergoes changes due to changes in time. So we can say that no object of this physical world can be called shuddha, or pure. Paramátman does not undergo any change and cannot be touched by impurity, so He alone can be called pure, or shuddha. He is pure for all time, and nothing else can be like that.

“Nirábhásam”. Ábhása has two meanings. One meaning is that, due to reflection, or refraction, something appears to be bent or misshapen. So, according to this interpretation, nirábhása will mean “that which does not undergo any reflection or refraction”. The second meaning is that which does not have any ábhása, any semblance, in other things or in other objects; that which cannot be conceptualized. This second meaning becomes more pertinent. As Parama Puruśa has the characteristic of reflection, His reflections on unit beings are the unit selves, or jiivátmás. There may not appear to be reflection, but reflection is there.

Still another meaning is that one may have some kind of idea of Him, even a very faint or minute semblance of Him, yet no one can claim himself to be another, or smaller, or duplicate, Parama Puruśa. So the word nirábhásam has been used here in this sense also.

“Nirákáram”. An object is created by the effect of the three guńas, sentient, mutative and static. What we see or feel, that which is perceivable, is known as matter, dravya. “Tava dravyaḿ Jagatguro Tubhyameva samarpaye.” Suppose we talk of the Himalayas. Though they are very vast, they have a limit. In other words, that which comes under the bondage of limitation has a shape or size. It is dravya, or matter. Dravya is that which has taken form. But the entity which is under no bondage of limitation, either of time, person or space, cannot be under any bondage of shape or size, so He is called nirákáram.

“Niraiṋjanam”. Aiṋjana means black spot. So that entity which is spotless, or which has no black spots, is Niraiṋjana.

“Nityabodham”. Bodha means experience supported by the intellect. Suppose you saw something wonderful – that was an experience for you. However, no idea of yours is connected to that experience which you had. So this is not bodha, or knowing. For example, someone sees a rainbow. That is a case of perception. The person, however, has no concept about the seven colours – therefore it is not a case of bodha. If a technician sees a machine, he can have bodha of the machine, but a layman who is not an engineer cannot form any mental conception of the machine. Budh + ghaiṋ = bodha. The entity who knows fully about each and every object, each and every mind, each and every jiivátmá, about everything in this creation, is Nityabodham. Nothing can be done which is secret from Him.

“Cidánandam”. Parama Puruśa is chiefly known as Satyam or Aparińámii – unchangeable or undergoing no metamorphosis. Cit means “cognition” – Shiva is known as Citi Shakti and the other Shakti is known as the Creative Principle. So Cidánanda is also the Cognitive Faculty or He who is always in bliss. He need not go anywhere in search of happiness from some other source. His [very] existence is bliss. Ánanda is cognitive bliss.

This is the quality of Parama Puruśa, that He has created the jiivas [unit entities], and it is a sort of conspiracy or drama of His to keep the jiivas in bondage. A playwright gives a particular role to a particular person. In such a way this Great Director of the Great Drama has involved everyone in his or her own way. In doing so He finds happiness, so that is what He does. He also does this to make things more interesting.

Actually, Parama Puruśa never means any harm by involving someone in a particular role. Say He has involved everyone in one or other role, and has picked a special role for Himself. In the drama He withdraws the bondage from a particular jiivátmá and liberates him or her. To place one in bondage and again release him or her is His liilá [inexplicable divine play or sport]. And He is absorbed in this liilá.

So no one should feel disconcerted about anything. All should know that He is concerned about their welfare. Just as parents are concerned for their child, so is He even more concerned for each of His children. Therefore, do not be afraid or perplexed under any circumstances. I have told you that you are never alone in this world – the Entity that guides the stars guides you also.