Linga Purana

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—

ईशित्वे च वशित्वे च सर्वगं सर्वतः स्थितम् रजस्तमोभ्यां निर्मुक्तास् त्यक्त्वा मानुष्यकं वपुः

In lordship and mastery, present everywhere, established in all things, freed from passion and darkness, having abandoned the human form—

मत्समीपमुपेष्यन्ति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभम् इत्येवमुक्तो भगवान् ब्रह्मा रुद्रेण वै द्विजाः

They will come near to me, where return is difficult. Thus did the blessed Brahmā speak to Rudra, O twice-born.

प्रणम्य प्रयतो भूत्वा पुनराह पितामहः य एवं भगवान् विद्वान् गायत्र्या वै महेश्वरम्

Having bowed, becoming intent, the grandsire again spoke: 'He who thus, O Blessed One, knows Maheśvara through the Gāyatrī—'

विश्वात्मानं हि सर्वं त्वां गायत्र्यास्तव चेश्वर तस्य देहि परं स्थानं तथास्त्विति च सो ऽब्रवीत्

'You, O Lord, are the soul of all, all indeed is you, through your Gāyatrī. Grant him the supreme state.' Thus he spoke.

तस्माद्विद्वान् हि विश्वत्वम् अस्याश्चास्य महात्मनः स याति ब्रह्मसायुज्यं वचनाद् ब्रह्मणः प्रभोः

Therefore, the wise one who knows the universality of this great soul attains union with Brahman, by the word of the Lord Brahmā.

श्रुत्वैवमखिलं ब्रह्मा रुद्रेण परिभाषितम् पुनः प्रणम्य देवेशं रुद्रमाह प्रजापतिः

Having heard all this, Brahmā, addressed by Rudra, again bowed to the Lord of the gods, and Prajāpati spoke to Rudra.

भगवन्देवदेवेश विश्वरूपं महेश्वर उमाधव महादेव नमो लोकाभिवन्दित

'O Blessed One, Lord of the gods, universal form, great Lord, consort of Umā, great god, I bow to you, honored by the worlds.'

विश्वरूप महाभाग कस्मिन्काले महेश्वर या इमास्ते महादेव तनवो लोकवन्दिताः

'O universal form, greatly fortunate one, at what time, O great Lord, do these your forms, O great god, honored by the worlds, appear?'

कस्यां वा युगसंभूत्यां द्रक्ष्यन्तीह द्विजातयः केन वा तपसा देव ध्यानयोगेन केन वा

'In which age's arising will the twice-born see them here? By what austerity, O god, or by what meditative yoga?'

नमस्ते वै महादेव शक्यो द्रष्टुं द्विजातिभिः तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा शर्वः सम्प्रेक्ष्य तं पुरः

'O great god, I bow to you—are you to be seen by the twice-born?' Having heard these words, Śarva looked upon him before him.

स्मयन्प्राह महादेव ऋग्यजुःसामसंभवः तपसा नैव वृत्तेन दानधर्मफलेन च

Smiling, the great god, born of Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma, spoke: 'Not by austerity, nor by conduct, nor by the fruit of charity and righteousness—'

न तीर्थफलयोगेन क्रतुभिर् वाप्तदक्षिणैः न वेदाध्ययनैर्वापि न वित्तेन न वेदनैः

'Not by the fruit of pilgrimage, nor by sacrifices with abundant gifts, nor by study of the Vedas, nor by wealth, nor by knowledge—'

न शक्यं मानवैर्द्रष्टुम् ऋते ध्यानादहं त्विह सप्तमे चैव वाराहे ततस्तस्मिन्पितामह

'It is not possible for men to see me here except by meditation. And in the seventh, the Vārāha, then, O grandsire—'

कल्पेश्वरो ऽथ भगवान् सर्वलोकप्रकाशनः मनुर्वैवस्वतश्चैव तव पौत्रो भविष्यति

'In that kalpa, the Lord, the blessed one, illuminator of all worlds, and Manu Vaivasvata, will be your grandson.'

तदा चतुर्युगावस्थे तस्मिन्कल्पे युगान्तिके अनुग्रहार्थं लोकानां ब्राह्मणानां हिताय च

'Then, in the fourfold yuga, at the end of the age, for the sake of blessing the worlds and for the welfare of the Brāhmaṇas—'

उत्पत्स्यामि तदा ब्रह्मन् पुनर् अस्मिन् युगान्तिके युगप्रवृत्त्या च तदा तस्मिंश् च प्रथमे युगे

'I will be born then, O Brahmā, again at the end of this age, with the beginning of the yuga, and in the first yuga of that kalpa.'

द्वापरे प्रथमे ब्रह्मन् यदा व्यासः स्वयं प्रभुः तदाहं ब्राह्मणार्थाय कलौ तस्मिन् युगान्तिके

O Brahman, in the first Dvapara, when Vyasa himself, the lord, appeared, I came at the end of that age for the sake of the Brahmanas.

भविष्यामि शिखायुक्तः श्वेतो नाम महामुनिः हिमवच्छिखरे रम्ये छागले पर्वतोत्तमे

I will become the great sage named Shveta, adorned with a topknot, on the beautiful peak of the Himalayas, on the excellent mountain called Chagala.

तत्र शिष्याः शिखायुक्ता भविष्यन्ति तदा मम श्वेतः श्वेतशिखश्चैव श्वेतास्यः श्वेतलोहितः

There, my disciples will also have topknots; at that time, their names will be Shveta, Shvetashikha, Shvetasya, and Shvetalohita.

चत्वारस्तु महात्मानो ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः ततस्ते ब्रह्मभूयिष्ठा दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मगतिं पराम्

These four great-souled Brahmanas, accomplished in the Vedas, will attain supreme Brahmanhood, having realized the highest path of Brahman.