Linga Purana

यदाचरेत्तपश्चायं सर्वद्वन्द्वविवर्जितम् तदा स मुक्तो मन्तव्यः पक्वं फलमिव स्थितः

When one practices asceticism, free from all dualities, then he is to be regarded as liberated, like a ripe fruit remaining.

एकाहं यः पुमान्सम्यक् चरेत्पाशुपतव्रतम् न सांख्ये पञ्चरात्रे वा न प्राप्नोति गतिं कदा

If a man properly observes the Pāśupata vow for a single day, he does not attain such a state in Sāṃkhya or Pañcarātra at any time.

इत्येतद्वै मया प्रोक्तम् अवतारेषु लक्षणम् मन्वादिकृष्णपर्यन्तम् अष्टाविंशद् युगक्रमात्

Thus I have described the characteristics of incarnations, from Manu onward to Kṛṣṇa, across the sequence of twenty-eight yugas.

तत्र श्रुतिसमूहानां विभागो धर्मलक्षणः भविष्यति तदा कल्पे कृष्णद्वैपायनो यदा

There, the division of the collections of scriptures will be the mark of dharma, when, in that kalpa, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana arises.

निशम्यैवं महातेजा महादेवेन कीर्तितम् रुद्रावतारं भगवान् प्रणिपत्य महेश्वरम्

Hearing thus the glorious account of Rudra's incarnation as proclaimed by Mahādeva, the blessed one bowed to the great Lord.

तुष्टाव वाग्भिर् इष्टाभिः पुनः प्राह च शङ्करम् सर्वे विष्णुमया देवाः सर्वे विष्णुमया गणाः

He praised him with chosen words and again addressed Śaṅkara: 'All the gods are pervaded by Viṣṇu; all the hosts are pervaded by Viṣṇu.'

न हि विष्णुसमा काचिद् गतिरन्या विधीयते इत्येवं सततं वेदा गायन्ति नात्र संशयः

Indeed, no other path equal to Viṣṇu is prescribed; thus the Vedas always sing—there is no doubt about this.

स देवदेवो भगवांस् तव लिङ्गार्चने रतः तव प्रणामपरमः कथं देवो ह्यभूत्प्रभुः

That god of gods, the blessed one, devoted to the worship of your liṅga, ever intent on bowing to you—how did the god become the Lord?

निशम्य वचनं तस्य ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः प्रपिबन्निव चक्षुर्भ्यां प्रीतस्तत्प्रश्नगौरवात्

Hearing the words of Brahmā, the supreme creator, he gazed intently with his eyes, pleased by the gravity of that question.

पूजाप्रकरणं तस्मै तमालोक्याह शङ्करः भवान्नारायणश्चैव शक्रः साक्षात्सुरोत्तमः

Beholding the subject of worship, Śaṅkara spoke to him: 'You yourself, Nārāyaṇa, and also Śakra, the foremost of gods, are present.'

मुनयश् च सदा लिङ्गं सम्पूज्य विधिपूर्वकम् स्वंस्वं पदं विभो प्राप्तास् तस्मात् सम्पूजयन्ति ते

And the sages, always worshipping the liṅga according to rule, have attained their own states, O Lord; therefore, they worship it.

लिङ्गार्चनं विना निष्ठा नास्ति तस्माज्जनार्दनः आत्मनो यजते नित्यं श्रद्धया भगवान्प्रभुः

Without liṅga worship, there is no attainment; therefore Janārdana, the blessed Lord, always worships himself with faith.

इत्येवमुक्त्वा ब्रह्माणम् अनुगृह्य महेश्वरः पुनः सम्प्रेक्ष्य देवेशं तत्रैवान्तरधीयत

Having thus spoken, Maheśvara, showing favor to Brahmā, again looked upon the Lord of gods and there itself disappeared.

तमुद्दिश्य तदा ब्रह्मा नमस्कृत्य कृताञ्जलिः स्रष्टुं त्वशेषं भगवांल् लब्धसंज्ञस्तु शङ्करात्

Then, addressing him, Brahmā, with joined palms, bowed and, having regained awareness from Śaṅkara, the blessed one set out to create the rest.

कथं पूज्यो महादेवो लिङ्गमूर्तिर्महेश्वरः वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं रोमहर्षण सांप्रतम्

How is the great god, Maheśvara, in the form of the liṅga, to be worshipped? You ought to tell us this now, O Romaharṣaṇa.

देव्या पृष्टो महादेवः कैलासे तां नगात्मजाम् अङ्कस्थामाह देवेशो लिङ्गार्चनविधिं क्रमात्

Questioned by the goddess on Mount Kailāsa, the Lord of gods spoke to the mountain-born one seated on his lap, explaining in order the method of liṅga worship.

तदा पार्श्वे स्थितो नन्दी शालङ्कायनकात्मजः श्रुत्वाखिलं पुरा प्राह ब्रह्मपुत्राय सुव्रताः

Then Nandī, son of Śālaṅkāyana, standing nearby, having heard everything before, spoke to the virtuous son of Brahmā.

सनत्कुमाराय शुभं लिङ्गार्चनविधिं परम् तस्माद्व्यासो महातेजाः श्रुतवाञ्छ्रुतिसंमितम्

To Sanatkumāra he related the auspicious and supreme method of liṅga worship; therefore, Vyāsa, of great splendor, learned it, consistent with the scriptures.

स्नानयोगोपचारं च यथा शैलादिनो मुखात् श्रुतवान् तत्प्रवक्ष्यामि स्नानाद्यं चार्चनाविधिम्

I shall now relate, as I heard from the mouth of Śailādi and others, the proper procedure for bathing and the offerings, beginning with bathing, and the method of worship.

अथ स्नानविधिं वक्ष्ये ब्राह्मणानां हिताय च सर्वपापहरं साक्षाच् छिवेन कथितं पुरा

Now I shall explain the procedure for bathing, for the welfare of the Brahmins, which removes all sins and was directly spoken by Shiva in ancient times.

अनेन विधिना स्नात्वा सकृत्पूज्य च शङ्करम् ब्रह्मकूर्चं च पीत्वा तु सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

By bathing according to this method, worshipping Shankara once, and drinking the Brahma-kurcha, one is freed from all sins.

त्रिविधं स्नानमाख्यातं देवदेवेन शंभुना हिताय ब्राह्मणाद्यानां चतुर्मुखसुतोत्तम

Three types of bathing have been described by the god of gods, Shambhu, for the benefit of Brahmins and others, O excellent son of Four-Faced Brahma.

वारुणं पुरतः कृत्वा ततश्चाग्नेयमुत्तमम् मन्त्रस्नानं ततः कृत्वा पूजयेत्परमेश्वरम्

First perform the Varuna bath, then the excellent Agneya bath, then the mantra bath; after that, one should worship the Supreme Lord.

भावदुष्टो ऽम्भसि स्नात्वा भस्मना च न शुध्यति भावशुद्धश्चरेच्छौचम् अन्यथा न समाचरेत्

If one bathes in water with a corrupted mind, one is not purified even by ashes; one should practice purity of mind, otherwise one should not perform purification.

सरित्सरस्तडागेषु सर्वेष्व् आ प्रलयं नरः स्नात्वापि भावदुष्टश्चेन् न शुध्यति न संशयः

Even if a person bathes in all rivers, lakes, and ponds until the end of time, if the mind is impure, purification does not occur—there is no doubt.

नृणां हि चित्तकमलं प्रबुद्धमभवद्यदा प्रसुप्तं तमसा ज्ञानभानोर्भासा तदा शुचिः

When the lotus of the mind among people has awakened, it is pure; when it is asleep in darkness, only the light of knowledge makes it pure.

मृच्छकृत्तिलपुष्पं च स्नानार्थं भसितं तथा आदाय तीरे निःक्षिप्य स्नानतीर्थे कुशानि च

For the purpose of bathing, one should take clay, cow dung, flowers, and ashes, place them on the bank, and also kusha grass at the bathing spot.

प्रक्षाल्याचम्य पादौ च मलं देहाद्विशोध्य च द्रव्यैस्तु तीरदेशस्थैस् ततः स्नानं समाचरेत्

After washing and rinsing the feet, and cleansing the body of dirt with substances found on the bank, one should then perform the bath.

उद्धृतासीतिमन्त्रेण पुनर्देहं विशोधयेत् मृदादाय ततश्चान्यद् वस्त्रं स्नात्वा ह्यनुल्बणम्

With the mantra 'uddhritāsīti', one should again purify the body, take clay, then another garment, and bathe, avoiding anything unclean.