Linga Purana

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.

कुशपुष्पयवव्रीहिबहुमूलतमालकम् दापयेत्प्रोक्षणीपात्रे भसितं प्रणवेन च

Kusa flowers, barley, rice, bahumula, and tamala should be placed in the vessel for sprinkling, along with sacred ash, using the syllable Om.

न्यसेत्पञ्चाक्षरं चैव गायत्रीं रुद्रदेवताम् केवलं प्रणवं वापि वेदसारमनुत्तमम्

One should place the five-syllabled mantra, the Gayatri, the deity Rudra, or simply the syllable Om, which is the supreme essence of the Veda.

अथ संप्रोक्षयेत्पश्चाद् द्रव्याणि प्रणवेन तु प्रोक्षणीपात्रसंस्थेन ईशानाद्यैश् च पञ्चभिः

Then, one should sprinkle the materials with the syllable Om, using the vessel for sprinkling, and with the five mantras beginning with Ishana.

पार्श्वतो देवदेवस्य नन्दिनं मांसमर्चयेत् दीप्तानलायुतप्रख्यं त्रिनेत्रं त्रिदशेश्वरम्

To the side of the Lord of gods, one should worship Nandin, who is like a mass of blazing fire, three-eyed, and the lord of the gods.

बालेन्दुमुकुटं चैव हरिवक्त्रं चतुर्भुजम् पुष्पमालाधरं सौम्यं सर्वाभरणभूषितम्

He wears a crescent moon as a crown, has the face of Hari, four arms, is adorned with a garland of flowers, is gentle, and is decorated with all ornaments.

उत्तरे चात्मनः पुण्यां भार्यां च मरुतां शुभाम् सुयशां सुव्रतां चाम्बां पादमण्डनतत्पराम्

To the north of oneself, one should worship one's virtuous wife, auspicious among the Maruts, of good fame, of good vows, the mother, devoted to adorning the feet.

एवं पूज्य प्रविश्यान्तर् भवनं परमेष्ठिनः दत्त्वा पुष्पाञ्जलिं भक्त्या पञ्चमूर्धसु पञ्चभिः

Thus, having worshipped, one should enter the inner chamber of the Supreme Lord, and with devotion, offer a handful of flowers with the five heads.

गन्धपुष्पैस् तथा धूपैर् विविधैः पूज्य शङ्करम् स्कन्दं विनायकं देवीं लिङ्गशुद्धिं च कारयेत्

With sandalwood, flowers, and various kinds of incense, one should worship Shankara, Skanda, Vinayaka, the Goddess, and perform the purification of the linga.

जप्त्वा सर्वाणि मन्त्राणि प्रणवादिनमो ऽन्तकम् कल्पयेदासनं पश्चात् पद्माख्यं प्रणवेन तत्

Having recited all the mantras, beginning with Om and ending with Namah, one should then prepare the seat called the lotus, with the syllable Om.

तस्य पूर्वदलं साक्षाद् अणिमामयम् अक्षरम् लघिमा दक्षिणं चैव महिमा पश्चिमं तथा

Its eastern petal is directly the syllable of aṇimā; the southern is laghimā, and the western is mahimā.