Linga Purana

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.

गन्धद्वारां दुराधर्षाम् इति मन्त्रेण मन्त्रवित् कपिलागोमयेनैव खस्थेनैव तु लेपयेत्

With the mantra 'gandhadvārāṃ durādharṣām', the knower of mantras should apply cow dung from a Kapila cow, using only what is in the air.

पुनः स्नात्वा परित्यज्य तद्वस्त्रं मलिनं ततः शुक्लवस्त्रपरीधानो भूत्वा स्नानं समाचरेत्

After bathing again and discarding the soiled garment, one should put on a white garment and then perform the bath.

सर्वपापविशुद्ध्यर्थम् आवाह्य वरुणं तथा सम्पूज्य मनसा देवं ध्यानयज्ञेन वै भवम्

For complete purification from all sins, one should invoke Varuna, worship the deity mentally, and perform meditation-sacrifice to Bhava.

आचम्य त्रिस्तदा तीर्थे ह्य् अवगाह्य भवं स्मरन् पुनराचम्य विधिवद् अभिमन्त्र्य महाजलम्

After rinsing three times at the holy place, immersing oneself while remembering Bhava, and rinsing again according to the procedure, one should sanctify the sacred water.

अवगाह्य पुनस्तस्मिन् जपेद्वै चाघमर्षणम् तत्तोये भानुसोमाग्निमण्डलं च स्मरेद्वशी

Immersing again, one should recite the Aghamarshana hymn; in that water, the master should remember the circles of the Sun, Moon, and Fire.

आचम्य च पुनस्तस्माज् जलादुत्तीर्य मन्त्रवित् प्रविश्य तीर्थमध्ये तु पुनः पुण्यविवृद्धये

After rinsing again, emerging from the water, the knower of mantras should enter the center of the holy place once more for the increase of merit.

शृङ्गेण पर्णपुटकैः पालाशैः क्षालितैस् तथा सकुशेन सपुष्पेण जलेनैवाभिषेचयेत्

With a deer’s horn, palasha leaves, properly washed, with kusha grass and flowers, one should sprinkle water for ablution.

रुद्रेण पवमानेन त्वरिताख्येन मन्त्रवित् तरत्समन्दीवर्गाद्यैस् तथा शान्तिद्वयेन च

The knower of mantras should use the Rudra, Pavamana, and Tvarita hymns, as well as the Taratsamandi group and the two peace hymns.

शान्तिधर्मेण चैकेन पञ्चब्रह्मपवित्रकैः तत्तन्मन्त्राधिदेवानां स्वरूपं च ऋषीन् स्मरन्

With the single śānti rite and the five Brahma purifications, remembering the forms of the presiding deities of those mantras and their seers,

एवं हि चाभिषिच्याथ स्वमूर्ध्नि पयसा द्विजाः ध्यायेच्च त्र्यम्बकं देवं हृदि पञ्चास्यम् ईश्वरम्

Thus, having anointed his own head with water, the twice-born should meditate in his heart on the three-eyed Lord, the five-faced Īśvara.