Linga Purana

विभो रुद्र महामाय इच्छया वां कृतौ त्वया तयोस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा अभिनन्द्याभिमान्य च

O mighty Rudra, by your wish, this was done by you; hearing their words, he joyfully and proudly welcomed them.

उवाच भगवान्देवो मधुरं श्लक्ष्णया गिरा भो भो हिरण्यगर्भ त्वां त्वां च कृष्ण ब्रवीम्यहम्

The blessed god spoke sweetly and gently: 'O O Hiraṇyagarbha, to you and to you, Kṛṣṇa, I speak.'

प्रीतो ऽहमनया भक्त्या शाश्वताक्षरयुक्तया भवन्तौ हृदयस्यास्य मम हृद्यतरावुभौ

I am pleased by this devotion, joined with eternal syllables; both of you are dearest to my heart.

युवाभ्यां किं ददाम्यद्य वराणां वरमीप्सितम् अथोवाच महाभागो विष्णुर्भवमिदं वचः

What boon shall I give you today, the most desired of boons? Then the blessed Viṣṇu spoke this word to Bhava.

सर्वं मम कृतं देव परितुष्टो ऽसि मे यदि त्वयि मे सुप्रतिष्ठा तु भक्तिर्भवतु शङ्करः

Everything has been done for me, O god; if you are satisfied with me, let my devotion be firmly established in you, O Śaṅkara.

एवमुक्तस्तु विज्ञाय संभावयत केशवम् प्रददौ च महादेवो भक्तिं निजपदांबुजे

Thus addressed, recognizing and honoring Keśava, Mahādeva granted devotion to his own lotus feet.

भवान्सर्वस्य लोकस्य कर्ता त्वमधिदैवतम् तदेवं स्वस्ति ते वत्स गमिष्याम्यंबुजेक्षण

You are the creator of all worlds, you are the supreme deity; thus, blessings to you, child, I shall depart, lotus-eyed one.

एवमुक्त्वा तु भगवान् ब्रह्माणं चापि शङ्करः अनुगृह्यास्पृशद्देवो ब्रह्माणं परमेश्वरः

Having spoken thus, the blessed Śaṅkara, after blessing, touched Brahmā, the supreme lord.

कराभ्यां सुशुभाभ्यां च प्राह हृष्टतरः स्वयम् मत्समस्त्वं न संदेहो वत्स भक्तश् च मे भवान्

With his own beautiful hands, exceedingly joyful, he said: 'You are like me, there is no doubt, child, and you are my devotee.'

स्वस्त्यस्तु ते गमिष्यामि संज्ञा भवतु सुव्रत एवमुक्त्वा तु भगवांस् ततो ऽन्तर्धानमीश्वरः

Blessings to you, I shall depart; let understanding arise, O virtuous one. Having spoken thus, the blessed lord vanished.

गतवान् गणपो देवः सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः अवाप्य संज्ञां गोविन्दात् पद्मयोनिः पितामहः

The leader of the hosts, the god worshipped by all gods, departed; having received understanding from Govinda, the lotus-born Pitāmaha.

प्रजाः स्रष्टुमनाश्चक्रे तप उग्रं पितामहः तस्यैवं तप्यमानस्य न किंचित् समवर्तत

Pitāmaha resolved to create beings and undertook severe austerity; but as he was thus engaged in austerity, nothing came forth.

ततो दीर्घेण कालेन दुःखात्क्रोधो ह्यजायत क्रोधाविष्टस्य नेत्राभ्यां प्रापतन्नश्रुबिन्दवः

Then, after a long time, from sorrow, anger arose; as he was possessed by anger, drops of tears fell from his eyes.

ततस्तेभ्यो ऽश्रुबिन्दुभ्यो वातपित्तकफात्मकाः महाभागा महासत्त्वाः स्वस्तिकैरप्यलंकृताः

Then from those drops of tears, possessing the qualities of wind, bile, and phlegm, beings of great fortune and great strength arose, adorned even with auspicious marks.

प्रकीर्णकेशाः सर्पास्ते प्रादुर्भूता महाविषाः सर्पांस्तानग्रजान्दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मात्मानम् अनिन्दयत्

Those serpents, with disheveled hair and filled with deadly poison, appeared; seeing those elder serpents, Brahma reproached himself.

अहो धिक् तपसो मह्यं फलमीदृशकं यदि लोकवैनाशिकी जज्ञे आदावेव प्रजा मम

"Alas! Fie upon my austerity if such is its result, for my very first creation has become the cause of the world's destruction."

तस्य तीव्राभवन्मूर्च्छा क्रोधामर्षसमुद्भवा मूर्च्छाभिपरितापेन जहौ प्राणान्प्रजापतिः

Then, overwhelmed by intense faintness arising from anger and indignation, the lord of creatures, afflicted by that swoon, gave up his life.

तस्याप्रतिमवीर्यस्य देहात्कारुण्यपूर्वकम् अथैकादश ते रुद्रा रुदन्तो ऽभ्यक्रमंस् तथा

From the body of that one of incomparable might, with compassion, then eleven Rudras, weeping, emerged in that way.

रोदनात्खलु रुद्रत्वं तेषु वै समजायत ये रुद्रास्ते खलु प्राणा ये प्राणास्ते तदात्मकाः

Because of their weeping, they came to be called Rudras; those Rudras are indeed the vital breaths, and those vital breaths are their essence.

प्राणाः प्राणवतां ज्ञेयाः सर्वभूतेष्ववस्थिताः अत्युग्रस्य महत्त्वस्य साधुराचरितस्य च

The vital breaths are to be understood as those of the living, present in all beings, of one exceedingly fierce, great, and virtuous conduct.

प्राणांस्तस्य ददौ भूयस् त्रिशूली नीललोहितः लब्ध्वासून् भगवान्ब्रह्म देवदेवमुमापतिम्

The trident-bearing, blue-red one again gave him the vital breaths; having regained life, the blessed Brahma beheld the god of gods, the spouse of Uma.

प्रणम्य संस्थितो ऽपश्यद् गायत्र्या विश्वमीश्वरम् सर्वलोकमयं देवं दृष्ट्वा स्तुत्वा पितामहः

Having bowed, he stood and saw, with Gayatri, the Lord of the Universe—having seen the god who is the essence of all worlds, the grandsire praised him.

ततो विस्मयमापन्नः प्रणिपत्य मुहुर्मुहुः उवाच वचनं शर्वं सद्यादित्वं कथं विभो

Then, filled with wonder, bowing again and again, he spoke these words to Sharva: "How, O mighty one, did you arise at the very beginning?"

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणो भगवान् भवः ब्रह्मरूपी प्रबोधार्थं ब्रह्माणं प्राह सस्मितम्

Hearing those words of Brahma, the blessed Bhava, taking the form of Brahma, for the sake of instruction, spoke to Brahma with a smile.

श्वेतकल्पो यदा ह्यासीद् अहमेव तदाभवम् श्वेतोष्णीषः श्वेतमाल्यः श्वेतांबरधरः सितः

"When the White Age existed, I alone was then; white-crested, adorned with white garlands, clad in white garments, shining white.

श्वेतास्थिः श्वेतरोमा च श्वेतासृक् श्वेतलोहितः तेन नाम्ना च विख्यातः श्वेतकल्पस्तदा ह्यसौ

White-boned, white-haired, with white blood and white-redness; by that name, that age was known as the White Age.

मत्प्रसूता च देवेशी श्वेताङ्गा श्वेतलोहिता श्वेतवर्णा तदा ह्यासीद् गायत्री ब्रह्मसंज्ञिता

The goddess, born from me, was white-limbed, white-red, and white in color; then Gayatri, known as Brahma, existed.

तस्मादहं च देवेश त्वया गुह्येन वै पुनः विज्ञातः स्वेन तपसा सद्योजातत्वमागतः

Therefore, O lord of gods, by your secret austerity, I have again been recognized by you, and immediately attained the state of Sadyōjāta.

सद्योजातेति ब्रह्मैतद् गुह्यं चैतत्प्रकीर्तितम् तस्माद्गुह्यत्वमापन्नं ये वेत्स्यन्ति द्विजातयः

"Sadyōjāta" is the name of that Brahman, and this is called a secret; therefore, it is considered secret, and those twice-born who know it—