Linga Purana

रुद्रलोकं गमिष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् यदाहं पुनरेवासं कृष्णवर्णो भयानकः

They will go to Rudra's realm, where return is difficult; whenever I again become black and terrifying.

मत्कृतेन च वर्णेन संकल्पः कृष्ण उच्यते तत्राहं कालसंकाशः कालो लोकप्रकालकः

And by my color, the resolve is called black; there I am like Time, Time who brings about the end of worlds.

विज्ञातो ऽहं त्वया ब्रह्मन् घोरो घोरपराक्रमः मत्प्रसूता च गायत्री कृष्णाङ्गी कृष्णलोहिता

You have understood me, O Brahman, as fierce and of terrible power; Gayatri born from me was black-bodied and black-red.

कृष्णरूपा च देवेश तदासीद्ब्रह्मसंज्ञिता तस्माद् घोरत्वमापन्नं ये मां वेत्स्यन्ति भूतले

She was black in form, O Lord of gods, and then known as Brahma; therefore, I attained fierceness—those who know me on earth,

तेषामघोरः शान्तश् च भविष्याम्यहमव्ययः पुनश् च विश्वरूपत्वं यदा ब्रह्मन्ममाभवत्

For them, I will be non-fierce, peaceful, and imperishable; again, when I became universal in form, O Brahman,

तदाप्यहं त्वया ज्ञातः परमेण समाधिना विश्वरूपा च संवृत्ता गायत्री लोकधारिणी

Then also, you understood me through supreme meditation; Gayatri became universal in form, sustaining the worlds.

तस्मिन् विश्वत्वम् आपन्नं ये मां वेत्स्यन्ति भूतले तेषां शिवश् च सौम्यश् च भविष्यामि सदैव हि

Those who know me on earth when I have attained universality, for them I will always be Shiva and gentle.

यस्माच्च विश्वरूपो वै कल्पो ऽयं समुदाहृतः विश्वरूपा तथा चेयं सावित्री समुदाहृता

Because this form is called universal, so too is Savitri called universal in form.

सर्वरूपा तथा चेमे संवृत्ता मम पुत्रकाः चत्वारस्ते मया ख्याताः पुत्र वै लोकसंमताः

Likewise, all these forms have arisen, O my sons; these four, whom I have named, are my sons, esteemed in the worlds.

यस्माच्च सर्ववर्णत्वं प्रजानां च भविष्यति सर्वभक्षा च मेध्या च वर्णतश् च भविष्यति

And because there will be universality of all castes among beings, and all foods will be pure and permitted, and there will be distinctions by caste.

मोक्षो धर्मस्तथार्थश् च कामश्चेति चतुष्टयम् यस्माद्वेदाश् च वेद्यं च चतुर्धा वै भविष्यति

Liberation, righteousness, wealth, and desire—these four, and because of them, the Vedas and what is to be known will also become fourfold.

भूतग्रामाश् च चत्वार आश्रमाश् च तथैव च धर्मस्य पादाश्चत्वारश् चत्वारो मम पुत्रकाः

There are four groups of beings, and likewise four stages of life; the four pillars of righteousness, and four are my sons.

तस्माच्चतुर्युगावस्थं जगद्वै सचराचरम् चतुर्धावस्थितश्चैव चतुष्पादो भविष्यति

Therefore, the world, with its moving and unmoving beings, will exist in four ages, and will be established in fourfold form, with four supports.

भूर्लोको ऽथ भुवर्लोकः स्वर्लोकश् च महस् तथा जनस्तपश् च सत्यं च विष्णुलोकस्ततः परम्

The earth world, then the atmosphere, the heaven, and also the great world; Jana, Tapas, and Satya, and beyond that, the world of Vishnu.

अष्टाक्षरस्थितो लोकः स्थाने स्थाने तदक्षरम् भूर्भुवः स्वर्महश्चैव पादाश्चत्वार एव च

The world is established in the eight-syllabled (mantra), and in each place is that syllable; earth, atmosphere, heaven, and the great world are the four supports.

भूर्लोकः प्रथमः पादो भुवर्लोकस्ततः परम् स्वर्लोको वै तृतीयश् च चतुर्थस्तु महस् तथा

The earth world is the first support, then the atmosphere is next, heaven is the third, and the great world is the fourth.

पञ्चमस्तु जनस्तत्र षष्ठश् च तप उच्यते सत्यं तु सप्तमो लोको ह्य् अपुनर्भवगामिनाम्

The fifth is Jana, the sixth is called Tapas, and Satya is the seventh world, for those who do not return to rebirth.

विष्णुलोकः स्मृतं स्थानं पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् स्कान्दमौमं तथा स्थानं सर्वसिद्धिसमन्वितम्

Vishnu's world is known as the place where return is difficult; Skanda's and Uma's places, too, are endowed with all perfections.

रुद्रलोकः स्मृतस्तस्मात् पदं तद्योगिनां शुभम् निर्ममा निरहङ्काराः कामक्रोधविवर्जिताः

Rudra's world is known as the auspicious state for yogis—those who are free from possessiveness, egotism, desire, and anger.

द्रक्ष्यन्ति तद्द्विजा युक्ता ध्यानतत्परमानसाः यस्माच्चतुष्पदा ह्येषा त्वया दृष्टा सरस्वती

Those twice-born who are united and whose minds are intent on meditation will see that; and because this four-footed Sarasvati has been seen by you.

पादान्तं विष्णुलोकं वै कौमारं शान्तमुत्तमम् औमं माहेश्वरं चैव तस्माद्दृष्टा चतुष्पदा

The end of the feet is Vishnu's world, the peaceful and supreme Kumara's, and also the Auma, the Maheśvara; therefore, the four-footed form has been seen.

तस्मात्तु पशवः सर्वे भविष्यन्ति चतुष्पदाः ततश्चैषां भविष्यन्ति चत्वारस्ते पयोधराः

Therefore, all animals will become four-footed, and they will have four udders.

सोमश् च मन्त्रसंयुक्तो यस्मान्मम मुखाच्च्युतः जीवः प्राणभृतां ब्रह्मन् पुनः पीतस्तनाः स्मृताः

And because Soma, joined with mantra, flowed from my mouth, the living being among those who breathe, O Brahman, are called those who drink again from the breast.

तस्मात्सोममयं चैव अमृतं जीवसंज्ञितम् चतुष्पादा भविष्यन्ति श्वेतत्वं चास्य तेन तत्

Therefore, the nectar called Soma is known as life; four-footed they will become, and because of that, their color is white.

यस्माच्चैव क्रिया भूत्वा द्विपदा च महेश्वरी दृष्टा पुनस्तथैवैषा सावित्री लोकभाविनी

And because action took place, the two-footed great goddess was seen again, likewise this Sāvitrī, the bringer of worlds.

तस्माच्च द्विपदाः सर्वे द्विस्तनाश् च नराः शुभाः तस्माच्चेयमजा भूत्वा सर्ववर्णा महेश्वरी

Therefore, all humans are two-footed and have two breasts; and thus, this unborn great goddess, having become of all colors.

या वै दृष्टा महासत्त्वा सर्वभूतधरा त्वया तस्माच्च विश्वरूपत्वं प्रजानां वै भविष्यति

She who was seen by you, of great strength, sustaining all beings—therefore, the beings will have the form of the universe.

अजश्चैव महातेजा विश्वरूपो भविष्यति अमोघरेताः सर्वत्र मुखे चास्य हुताशनः

And the unborn one, of great splendor, will become the form of the universe; his seed will never fail, and in his mouth will be the fire of oblation.

तस्मात्सर्वगतो मेध्यः पशुरूपी हुताशनः तपसा भावितात्मानो ये मां द्रक्ष्यन्ति वै द्विजाः

Therefore, the all-pervading, pure one, in the form of a beast, with fire as his mouth—those twice-born who, with minds purified by austerity, see me thus—