Linga Purana

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—

मत्समीपं गमिष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् यदा चैव पुनस्त्वासील् लोहितो नाम नामतः

They will come near to me, where return is difficult; and when, again, you existed as Lohita by name—

मत्कृतेन च वर्णेन कल्पो वै लोहितः स्मृतः तदा लोहितमांसास्थिलोहितक्षीरसंभवा

Because of the color produced by me, that age is remembered as Lohita; then beings arose with red flesh, bones, and blood.

लोहिताक्षी स्तनवती गायत्री गौः प्रकीर्तिता ततो ऽस्या लोहितत्वेन वर्णस्य च विपर्ययात्

Gayatri, called the cow, is red-eyed and full-breasted; therefore, due to her redness and the reversal of color, she is thus named.

वामत्वाच्चैव देवस्य वामदेवत्वमागतः तत्रापि च महासत्त्व त्वयाहं नियतात्मना

And because of the deity's left-sidedness, the name Vamadeva arose; there too, O great-souled one, you have known me, steadfast in self-control.

विज्ञातः स्वेन योगेन तस्मिन्वर्णान्तरे स्थितः ततश् च वामदेवेति ख्यातिं यातो ऽस्मि भूतले

By your own yoga you have understood me, established in that other color; thus, I have become known as Vamadeva on earth.

ये चापि वामदेव त्वां ज्ञास्यन्तीह द्विजातयः रुद्रलोकं गमिष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम्

Those twice-born who recognize you here as Vamadeva will go to Rudra's realm, where return is difficult.

यदाहं पुनरेवेह पीतवर्णो युगक्रमात् मत्कृतेन च नाम्ना वै पीतकल्पो ऽभवत्तदा

Whenever I again appear here with a yellow hue, according to the cycle of ages, then, by my name, the yellow form was established.

मत्प्रसूता च देवेशी पीताङ्गी पीतलोहिता पीतवर्णा तदा ह्यासीद् गायत्री ब्रह्मसंज्ञिता

And the goddess born from me, yellow-bodied and yellow-red, was then called Gayatri, known as Brahma.

तत्रापि च महासत्त्व योगयुक्तेन चेतसा यस्मादहं तैर्विज्ञातो योगतत्परमानसैः

There too, O great-souled one, with mind joined to yoga, because I was recognized by those whose minds are devoted to yoga.

तत्र तत्पुरुषत्वेन विज्ञातो ऽहं त्वया पुनः तस्मात्तत्पुरुषत्वं वै ममैतत्कनकाण्डज

There, you again understood me as Tatpurusha; therefore, this Tatpurusha state is mine, O Kanakanda.