Linga Purana

पुण्यानामितिहासानां शैवादीनां तथैव च श्रोत्रे स्पृशेद्धि तुष्ट्यर्थं हृद्देशं तु ततः स्पृशेत्

He should touch his ears for the sake of pleasing with the auspicious Itihāsas, such as the Śaiva and others, and then touch the region of his heart.

कल्पादीनां तु सर्वेषां कल्पवित्कल्पवित्तमाः एवमाचम्य चास्तीर्य दर्भपिञ्जूलम् आत्मनः

He who knows all the Kalpas should touch himself with all the Kalpas, and having thus sipped water and spread a mat of darbha grass for himself,

कृत्वा पाणितले धीमान् आत्मनो दक्षिणोत्तरम् हेमाङ्गुलीयसंयुक्तो ब्रह्मबन्धयुतो ऽपि वा

The wise man, having placed his right hand to the north, adorned with a golden ring, whether wearing the sacred thread or not,

विधिवद्ब्रह्मयज्ञं च कुर्यात्सूत्री समाहितः अकृत्वा च मुनिः पञ्च महायज्ञान्द्विजोत्तमः

A twice-born who wears the sacred thread, intent and composed, should perform the Brahma-yajña as prescribed; and a sage who neglects the five great sacrifices is not truly noble.

भुक्त्वा च सूकराणां तु योनौ वै जायते नरः तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन कर्तव्याः शुभमिच्छता

After eating, if a man is born in the womb of swine, it is due to neglect; therefore, one who desires auspiciousness must perform these rites with all effort.

ब्रह्मयज्ञादथ स्नानं कृत्वादौ सर्वथात्मनः तीर्थं संगृह्य विधिवत् प्रविशेच्छिबिरं वशी

After the Brahma-yajña, one should bathe with full attention, gather water as prescribed, and enter the dwelling with self-control.

बहिरेव गृहात्पादौ हस्तौ प्रक्षाल्य वारिणा भस्मस्नानं ततः कुर्याद् विधिवद् देहशुद्धये

Outside the house, one should wash feet and hands with water, then perform the ash-bath as prescribed for purification of the body.

शोध्य भस्म यथान्यायं प्रणवेनाग्निहोत्रजम् ज्योतिः सूर्य इति प्रातर् जुहुयादुदिते यतः

One should purify the ash according to rule, using the Praṇava, and take the ash from the Agnihotra fire; in the morning, at sunrise, one should offer oblations with the mantra 'Jyotiḥ Sūrya'.

ज्योतिरग्निस् तथा सायं सम्यक् चानुदिते मृषा तस्मादुदितहोमस्थं भसितं पावनं शुभम्

In the evening, before sunset, one should likewise offer to the fire with the mantra 'Jyotir Agni'; therefore, the ash remaining from the sunrise oblation is pure and auspicious.

नास्ति सत्यसमं यस्माद् असत्यं पातकं च यत् ईशानेन शिरोदेशं मुखं तत्पुरुषेण च

There is nothing equal to truth, for untruth is sin; with the Īśāna mantra, one should anoint the head, and with the Tatpuruṣa mantra, the face.

उरोदेशमघोरेण गुह्यं वामेन सुव्रताः सद्येन पादौ सर्वाङ्गं प्रणवेनाभिषेचयेत्

With the Aghora mantra, the chest; with the Vāmadeva mantra, the secret parts, O virtuous ones; with the Sadyojāta mantra, the feet; and with the Praṇava, the whole body should be consecrated.

ततः प्रक्षालयेत्पादं हस्तं ब्रह्मविदां वरः व्यपोह्य भस्म चादाय देवदेवमनुस्मरन्

Then, the best of knowers of Brahman should wash hands and feet, take up the ash after removing impurities, and remember the Lord of gods.

मन्त्रस्नानं ततः कुर्याद् आपोहिष्ठादिभिः क्रमात् पुण्यैश्चैव तथा मन्त्रैर् ऋग्यजुःसामसंभवैः

After that, one should perform the mantra-bath in order, using the 'Āpo hiṣṭhā' and other purifying mantras, as well as sacred mantras from the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas.

द्विजानां तु हितायैवं कथितं स्नानमद्य ते संक्षिप्य यः सकृत्कुर्यात् स याति परमं पदम्

Thus, for the welfare of the twice-born, I have briefly described the bath for you today; whoever performs it even once attains the supreme state.

वक्ष्यामि शृणु संक्षेपाल् लिङ्गार्चनाविधिक्रमम् वक्तुं वर्षशतेनापि न शक्यं विस्तरेण यत्

Now I shall briefly explain the procedure for worshipping the Liṅga; even in a hundred years, it cannot be fully described in detail.

एवं स्नात्वा यथान्यायं पूजास्थानं प्रविश्य च प्राणायामत्रयं कृत्वा ध्यायेद्देवं त्रियंबकम्

Having bathed properly in this way and entered the place of worship, one should perform the threefold regulation of breath and meditate on the three-eyed god.

पञ्चवक्त्रं दशभुजं शुद्धस्फटिकसन्निभम् सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तं चित्रांबरविभूषितम्

He is five-faced, ten-armed, shining like pure crystal, adorned with all ornaments, and clothed in splendid garments.

तस्य रूपं समाश्रित्य दाहनप्लावनादिभिः शैवीं तनुं समास्थाय पूजयेत्परमेश्वरम्

Assuming that form, and adopting the Śaiva body through rites of burning and bathing, one should worship the Supreme Lord.

देहशुद्धिं च कृत्वैव मूलमन्त्रं न्यसेत् क्रमात् सर्वत्र प्रणवेनैव ब्रह्माणि च यथाक्रमम्

Having purified the body, one should then place the root mantra in order, everywhere with the Praṇava, and the Brahma mantras as appropriate.

सूत्रे नमः शिवायेति छन्दांसि परमे शुभे मन्त्राणि सूक्ष्मरूपेण संस्थितानि यतस्ततः

In the sacred thread, the mantra 'Namaḥ Śivāya' is present; the meters and mantras, in their subtle forms, are established therein.

न्यग्रोधबीजे न्यग्रोधस् तथा सूत्रे तु शोभने महत्यपि महद्ब्रह्म संस्थितं सूक्ष्मवत्स्वयम्

Just as the banyan tree is contained within its seed, so too, O auspicious one, the great Brahman is established in the thread, in a subtle form, even within the great.

सेचयेदर्चनस्थानं गन्धचन्दनवारिणा द्रव्याणि शोधयेत्पश्चात् क्षालनप्रोक्षणादिभिः

One should sprinkle the place of worship with water mixed with fragrant sandalwood, and then purify the materials by washing, sprinkling, and other such acts.

क्षालनं प्रोक्षणं चैव प्रणवेन विधीयते प्रोक्षणी चार्घ्यपात्रं च पाद्यपात्रम् अनुक्रमात्

Washing and sprinkling are to be performed with the sacred syllable Om; the vessel for sprinkling, as well as the vessels for offering arghya and water for the feet, should be arranged in order.

तथा ह्याचमनीयार्थं कल्पितं पात्रमेव च स्थापयेद् विधिना धीमान् अवगुण्ठ्य यथाविधि

Likewise, the vessel prepared for sipping water should be properly placed according to the prescribed method, covered as appropriate, by the wise.

दर्भैर् आच्छादयेच्चैव प्रोक्षयेच्छुद्धवारिणा तेषु तेष्वथ सर्वेषु क्षिपेत्तोयं सुशीतलम्

One should cover them with darbha grass and sprinkle them with pure water; then, into each of these, one should pour cool water.

प्रणवेन क्षिपेत्तेषु द्रव्याण्यालोक्य बुद्धिमान् उशीरं चन्दनं चैव पाद्ये तु परिकल्पयेत्

With the syllable Om, the wise should place the materials into them after examining; for the water for the feet, one should add vetiver and sandalwood.

जातिकङ्कोलकर्पूरबहुमूलतमालकम् चूर्णयित्वा यथान्यायं क्षिपेदाचमनीयके

Nutmeg, kankola, camphor, bahumula, and tamala—after grinding them properly, one should put them into the vessel for sipping water.

एवं सर्वेषु पात्रेषु दापयेच्चन्दनं तथा कर्पूरं च यथान्यायं पुष्पाणि विविधानि च

In all the vessels, one should likewise place sandalwood, camphor as appropriate, and various kinds of flowers.

कुशाग्रमक्षतांश्चैव यवव्रीहितिलानि च आज्यसिद्धार्थपुष्पाणि भसितं चार्घ्यपात्रके

Tips of kusa grass, unbroken grains of rice, barley, sesame, clarified butter, mustard seeds, flowers, and sacred ash should be placed in the vessel for arghya.