Linga Purana

न्यसेन्मन्त्राणि तत्तोये सद्योजातादिकानि तु सुवर्णकलशेनाथ तथा वै राजतेन वा

One should place the mantras, beginning with Sadyojāta, into that water, using a golden or a silver vessel.

ताम्रेण पद्मपत्रेण पालाशेन दलेन वा शंखेन मृन्मयेनाथ शोधितेन शुभेन वा

Or with a copper vessel, a lotus leaf, a palāśa leaf, a conch, or a purified clay vessel, or another auspicious vessel.

सकूर्चेन सपुष्पेण स्नापयेन्मन्त्रपूर्वकम् मन्त्राणि ते प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु सर्वार्थसिद्धये

With kuśa grass and flowers, one should bathe with the proper mantras; I will now declare those mantras to you—listen, for the attainment of all purposes.

यैर्लिङ्गं सकृदप्येवं स्नाप्य मुच्येत मानवः पवमानेन मन्त्रज्ञाः तथा वामीयकेन च

By bathing the liṅga even once with these mantras, a person is freed; with the Pavamāna mantra, and likewise with the Vāmīyaka mantra.

रुद्रेण नीलरुद्रेण श्रीसूक्तेन शुभेन च रजनीसूक्तकेनैव चमकेन शुभेन च

With the Rudra, Nīlarudra, the auspicious Śrīsūkta, the Rajanīsūkta, and the auspicious Camaka.

होतारेणाथ शिरसा अथर्वेण शुभेन च शान्त्या चाथ पुनः शान्त्या भारुण्डेनारुणेन च

With the Hotāra, Śirasa, the auspicious Atharva, with Śānti and again with Śānti, with Bhāruṇḍa and Aruṇa.

वारुणेन च ज्येष्ठेन तथा वेदव्रतेन च तथान्तरेण पुण्येन सूक्तेन पुरुषेण च

With the Vāruṇa, Jyeṣṭha, Vedavrata, and also with another auspicious hymn, and with the Puruṣa hymn.

त्वरितेनैव रुद्रेण कपिना च कपर्दिना आवोसजेति साम्ना तु बृहच्चन्द्रेण विष्णुना

Then, swiftly, Rudra—he of the matted hair—together with the monkey-faced one, and Viṣṇu as Bṛhaccandra, invoked with the Sāman, saying, 'Let it be established.'

विरूपाक्षेण स्कन्देन शतऋग्भिः शिवैस् तथा पञ्चब्रह्मैश् च सूत्रेण केवलप्रणवेन च

By Virūpākṣa, by Skanda, and by the many Śivas, as well as by the five Brahmas, with the Sūtra and with the pure Praṇava, it was likewise invoked.

स्नापयेद्देवदेवेशं सर्वपापप्रशान्तये वस्त्रं शिवोपवीतं च तथा ह्याचमनीयकम्

One should bathe the Lord of gods and lords, for the pacification of all sins, and offer cloth, the sacred thread of Śiva, and also water for sipping.

गन्धं पुष्पं तथा धूपं दीपमन्नं क्रमेण तु तोयं सुगन्धितं चैव पुनराचमनीयकम्

Then, in order, one should offer fragrance, flowers, incense, a lamp, food, and again fragrant water, as well as water for sipping.

मुकुटं च शुभं छन्नं तथा वै भूषणानि च दापयेत्प्रणवेनैव मुखवासादिकानि च

One should also offer a beautiful, covered crown, ornaments, and, with the Praṇava, mouth-perfume and the like.

ततः स्फटिकसंकाशं देवं निष्कलमक्षरम् कारणं सर्वदेवानां सर्वलोकमयं परम्

Then, the Lord, shining like crystal, without parts, imperishable, the cause of all the gods, pervading all worlds, the supreme, is to be contemplated.

ब्रह्मेन्द्रविष्णुरुद्राद्यैर् ऋषिदेवैर् अगोचरम् वेदविद्भिर् हि वेदान्तैस् त्व् अगोचरमिति श्रुतिः

He is beyond the perception of Brahmā, Indra, Viṣṇu, Rudra, and the other seers and gods; and, as the Veda says, beyond the reach of those who know the Vedas and Vedānta.

आदिमध्यान्तरहितं भेषजं भवरोगिणाम् शिवतत्त्वमिति ख्यातं शिवलिङ्गे व्यवस्थितम्

He is without beginning, middle, or end, the remedy for those afflicted by worldly existence, known as the principle of Śiva, established in the Śivaliṅga.

प्रणवेनैव मन्त्रेण पूजयेल्लिङ्गमूर्धनि स्तोत्रं जपेच्च विधिना नमस्कारं प्रदक्षिणम्

With the Praṇava mantra, one should worship the top of the Liṅga, recite hymns according to rule, and perform obeisance and circumambulation.

अर्घ्यं दत्त्वाथ पुष्पाणि पादयोस्तु विकीर्य च प्रणिपत्य च देवेशम् आत्मन्यारोपयेच्छिवम्

After offering arghya and scattering flowers at the feet, bowing down, one should meditate upon Śiva, the Lord of gods, as established within oneself.

एवं संक्षिप्य कथितं लिङ्गार्चनमनुत्तमम् आभ्यन्तरं प्रवक्ष्यामि लिङ्गार्चनमिहाद्य ते

Thus, the supreme worship of the Liṅga has been briefly described; now I shall explain to you today the internal worship of the Liṅga here.

आग्नेयं सौरममृतं बिम्बं भाव्यं ततोपरि गुणत्रयं च हृदये तथा चात्मत्रयं क्रमात्

One should meditate upon the fiery, solar, and immortal disc, and above it, the three guṇas in the heart, and then, in order, the three selves.

तस्योपरि महादेवं निष्कलं सकलाकृतिम् कान्तार्धरूढदेहं च पूजयेद्ध्यानविद्यया

Above that, one should worship, by the knowledge of meditation, the great god, formless and with all forms, whose body is half-occupied by his beloved.

ततो बहुविधं प्रोक्तं चिन्त्यं तत्रास्ति चेद्यतः चिन्तकस्य ततश्चिन्ता अन्यथा नोपपद्यते

Then, whatever is to be contemplated there has been described in many ways; for the one who contemplates, contemplation arises accordingly, and not otherwise.

तस्माद्ध्येयं तथा ध्यानं यजमानः प्रयोजनम् स्मरेत्तन्नान्यथा जातु बुध्यते पुरुषस्य ह

Therefore, the worshipper should meditate and remember the purpose in this way, for otherwise a person does not truly awaken.

पुरे शेते पुरं देहं तस्मात्पुरुष उच्यते याज्यं यज्ञेन यजते यजमानस्तु स स्मृतः

He dwells in the city, the body, and thus is called puruṣa; the one who is to be worshipped is worshipped by sacrifice, and the worshipper is so remembered.

ध्येयो महेश्वरो ध्यानं चिन्तनं निर्वृतिः फलम् प्रधानपुरुषेशानं याथातथ्यं प्रपद्यते

The great Lord is to be meditated upon; meditation is contemplation, and liberation is its fruit. One attains the true nature of the Lord of Pradhāna and Puruṣa.

इह षड्विंशको ध्येयो ध्याता वै पञ्चविंशकः चतुर्विंशकम् अव्यक्तं महदाद्यास्तु सप्त च

Here, the twenty-sixth is to be meditated upon, the meditator is the twenty-fifth; the unmanifest is the twenty-fourth, and the seven beginning with the great principle.

महांस् तथा त्वहङ्कारं तन्मात्रं पञ्चकं पुनः कर्मेन्द्रियाणि पञ्चैव तथा बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि च

The great principle, then ego, the five subtle elements again, the five organs of action, likewise the five organs of perception,

मनश् च पञ्च भूतानि शिवः षड्विंशकस्ततः स एव भर्ता कर्ता च विधेरपि महेश्वरः

the mind, and the five elements—thus Shiva is the twenty-sixth. He alone is the sustainer and the creator, the supreme Lord even of Brahma.

हिरण्यगर्भं रुद्रो ऽसौ जनयामास शङ्करः विश्वाधिकश् च विश्वात्मा विश्वरूप इति स्मृतः

Shankara, that Rudra, generated Hiranyagarbha. He surpasses the universe, is the soul of the universe, and is remembered as the form of all.

विना यथा हि पितरं मातरं तनयास्त्विह न जायन्ते तथा सोमं विना नास्ति जगत्त्रयम्

Just as, without a father and mother, children are not born here, so too, without Soma, the three worlds do not exist.