नमो रुद्राय हरये ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने प्रधानपुरुषेशाय सर्गस्थित्यन्तकारिणे
Salutations to Rudra, to Hara, to Brahman, to the Supreme Self, to the Lord of Pradhāna and Puruṣa, the cause of creation, preservation, and dissolution.
नारदो ऽभ्यर्च्य शैलेशे शङ्करं सङ्गमेश्वरे हिरण्यगर्भे स्वर्लीने ह्य् अविमुक्ते महालये
Nārada, having worshipped Śaileśa, Śaṅkara, Saṅgameśvara, Hiraṇyagarbha, Svarlīna, and Avimukta Mahālaya,
रौद्रे गोप्रेक्षके चैव श्रेष्ठे पाशुपते तथा विघ्नेश्वरे च केदारे तथा गोमायुकेश्वरे
At Raudra, Goprekṣaka, and likewise at the excellent Pāśupata, at Vighneśvara, at Kedāra, and at Gomāyukeśvara,
हिरण्यगर्भे चन्द्रेशे ईशान्ये च त्रिविष्टपे शुक्रेश्वरे यथान्यायं नैमिषं प्रययौ मुनिः
At Hiraṇyagarbha, Candreśa, Īśānya in Triviṣṭapa, and at Śukreśvara in due order, the sage proceeded to Naimiṣa.
नैमिषेयास्तदा दृष्ट्वा नारदं हृष्टमानसाः समभ्यर्च्यासनं तस्मै तद्योग्यं समकल्पयन्
The residents of Naimiṣa, seeing Nārada, their hearts filled with joy, worshipped him and prepared an appropriate seat for him.
सो ऽपि हृष्टो मुनिवरैर् दत्तं भेजे तदासनम् सम्पूज्यमानो मुनिभिः सुखासीनो वरासने
He too, delighted, accepted the seat offered by the eminent sages, and being honored by them, sat comfortably on the excellent seat.
चक्रे कथां विचित्रार्थां लिङ्गमाहात्म्यमाश्रिताम् एतस्मिन्नेवकाले तु सूतः पौराणिकः स्वयम्
He began a discourse of wondrous meaning, centered on the greatness of the Liṅga; and at that very time, Sūta, the reciter of Purāṇas, himself,
जगाम नैमिषं धीमान् प्रणामार्थं तपस्विनाम् तस्मै साम च पूजां च यथावच्चक्रिरे तदा
The wise Sūta arrived at Naimiṣa to pay respects to the ascetics; to him, they then offered due hospitality and worship.
नैमिषेयास्तु शिष्याय कृष्णद्वैपायनस्य तु अथ तेषां पुराणस्य शुश्रूषा समपद्यत
The residents of Naimiṣa, disciples of Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, then developed a desire to hear the Purāṇa from him.
दृष्ट्वा तम् अतिविश्वस्तं विद्वांसं रोमहर्षणम् अपृच्छंश्च ततः सूतम् ऋषिं सर्वे तपोधनाः
Seeing Romaharṣaṇa, learned and utterly trustworthy, all the ascetics, rich in austerity, questioned the Sūta sage.
पुराणसंहितां पुण्यां लिङ्गमाहात्म्यसंयुताम् त्वया सूत महाबुद्धे कृष्णद्वैपायनो मुनिः
The blessed collection of Purāṇas, endowed with the greatness of the Liṅga, was received by you, O wise Sūta, from the sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.
उपासितः पुराणार्थं लब्धा तस्माच्च संहिता तस्माद्भवन्तं पृच्छामः सूत पौराणिकोत्तमम्
Having served him for the meaning of the Purāṇas, you obtained that collection from him; therefore, we ask you, Sūta, foremost among reciters of Purāṇas.
पुराणसंहितां दिव्यां लिङ्गमाहात्म्यसंयुताम् नारदो ऽप्यस्य देवस्य रुद्रस्य परमात्मनः
The divine collection of Purāṇas, endowed with the greatness of the Liṅga, was also received by Nārada, regarding this god Rudra, the Supreme Self.
क्षेत्राण्यासाद्य चाभ्यर्च्य लिङ्गानि मुनिपुङ्गवः इह संनिहितः श्रीमान् नारदो ब्रह्मणः सुतः
Having approached the sacred places and worshipped the Liṅgas, the illustrious sage Nārada, son of Brahmā, is present here.
भवभक्तो भवांश्चैव वयं वै नारदस्तथा अस्याग्रतो मुनेः पुण्यं पुराणं वक्तुमर्हसि
We are all devoted to Bhava, and so is Nārada; before this sage, you should narrate the holy Purāṇa.
सफलं साधितं सर्वं भवता विदितं भवेत् एवमुक्तः स हृष्टात्मा सूतः पौराणिकोत्तमः
All has been accomplished fruitfully and is known to you; thus addressed, Sūta, the foremost reciter of Purāṇas, was gladdened in heart.
अभिवाद्याग्रतो धीमान् नारदं ब्रह्मणः सुतम् नैमिषेयांश्च पुण्यात्मा पुराणं व्याजहार सः
Having respectfully greeted Nārada, son of Brahmā, and the residents of Naimiṣa, the virtuous one began to recite the Purāṇa.
नमस्कृत्य महादेवं ब्रह्माणं च जनार्दनम् मुनीश्वरं तथा व्यासं वक्तुं लिङ्गं स्मराम्यहम्
Having bowed to Mahādeva, to Brahmā, to Janārdana, to the lordly sage Vyāsa, I remember the Liṅga in order to narrate.
शब्दं ब्रह्मतनुं साक्षाच् छब्दब्रह्मप्रकाशकम् वर्णावयवम् अव्यक्तलक्षणं बहुधा स्थितम्
Sound, the very body of Brahman, directly reveals the word-Brahman; composed of letters, marked by the unmanifest, it abides in many forms.
अकारोकारमकारं स्थूलं सूक्ष्मं परात्परम् ओङ्काररूपम् ऋग्वक्त्रं समजिह्वासमन्वितम्
The syllables A, U, and M—gross, subtle, and supreme beyond the supreme—take the form of Om, with the mouth of the Rigveda, joined with equal tongues.
यजुर्वेदमहाग्रीवम् अथर्वहृदयं विभुम् प्रधानपुरुषातीतं प्रलयोत्पत्तिवर्जितम्
With the neck of the Yajurveda, the heart of the Atharva, all-pervading, transcending both Pradhāna and Puruṣa, free from dissolution and origination.
तमसा कालरुद्राख्यं रजसा कनकाण्डजम् सत्त्वेन सर्वगं विष्णुं निर्गुणत्वे महेश्वरम्
By tamas, it is called Kālarudra; by rajas, born of the golden egg; by sattva, it is all-pervading Viṣṇu; in its qualityless state, it is Maheśvara.
प्रधानावयवं व्याप्य सप्तधाधिष्ठितं क्रमात् पुनः षोडशधा चैव षड्विंशकम् अजोद्भवम्
Pervading the limbs of Pradhāna, established in sevenfold order, then again in sixteenfold, and as twenty-six, unborn.
सर्गप्रतिष्ठासंहारलीलार्थं लिङ्गरूपिणम् प्रणम्य च यथान्यायं वक्ष्ये लिङ्गोद्भवं शुभम्
For the purpose of creation, maintenance, and dissolution, assuming the form of the Liṅga, I bow as is proper and will now declare the auspicious origin of the Liṅga.
ईशानकल्पवृत्तान्तम् अधिकृत्य महात्मना ब्रह्मणा कल्पितं पूर्वं पुराणं लैङ्गम् उत्तमम्
Concerning the account of Īśāna's kalpa, the great-souled Brahmā formerly composed the supreme Purāṇa of the Liṅga.
ग्रन्थकोटिप्रमाणं तु शतकोटिप्रविस्तरे चतुर्लक्षेण संक्षिप्ते व्यासैः सर्वान्तरेषु वै
Its measure was at the limit of books, extending to a hundred crores; Vyāsa condensed it into four hundred thousand for all ages.
व्यस्तेष्टा दशधा चैव ब्रह्मादौ द्वापरादिषु लिङ्गमेकादशं प्रोक्तं मया व्यासाच्छ्रुतं च तत्
Divided tenfold, in the ages from Brahmā onward, in the Dvāpara and others, the elevenfold Liṅga was taught by me and heard from Vyāsa.
अस्यैकादशसाहस्रे ग्रन्थमानमिह द्विजाः तस्मात्संक्षेपतो वक्ष्ये न श्रुतं विस्तरेण यत्
Here, O twice-born, the text is of eleven thousand verses; therefore I will briefly relate what has not been heard in detail.
चतुर्लक्षेण संक्षिप्ते कृष्णद्वैपायनेन तु अत्रैकादशसाहस्रैः कथितो लिङ्गसम्भवः
Condensed into four hundred thousand by Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, here the origin of the Liṅga is told in eleven thousand verses.
सर्गः प्राधानिकः पश्चात् प्राकृतो वैकृतानि च अण्डस्यास्य च सम्भूतिर् अण्डस्यावरणाष्टकम्
First is the primary creation, then the elemental and the derivative; the origin of this cosmic egg and its eight coverings.