Siva said :-—
I shall tell you the great secret of the five-fold duties, out of compassion for you.
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O Brahma and Visnu, the permanent cycle of the five-fold duties consists of creation, maintenance, annihilation, concealment, and blessing.
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Sarga is the creation of the world ; Sthiti is its maintenance; Samhara is the annihilation; Tirobhava is the removal and concealment
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Liberation (from the cycle of birth and death) is blessing. These five are my activities but are carried on by others silently as in the case of the statue at the Portal.
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The first four activities concern the evolution of the world and the fifth one is the cause of salvation. All these constitute my prerogatives.
6-8. These activities are observed in the five elements by devotees—Sarga (creation) in the Earth, Sthiti (maintenance) in the waters, Samhara (annihilation) in the fire, Tirobhava (concealment) in the wind and Anugraha (liberation, the blessed state) in the firmament. Everything is created by the Earth; everything flourishes by virtue of the waters; everything is urged by the fire, everything is removed