Linga Purana

सुरतान्तस्तु विप्रेन्द्र संतुष्टो ऽहं द्विजोत्तम सुदर्शनस्ततः प्राह सुप्रहृष्टो द्विजोत्तमः

'O best of Brāhmaṇas, the act of love is complete; I am satisfied,' said the distinguished Brāhmaṇa. Then Sudarśana, greatly delighted, spoke to the best of Brāhmaṇas.

भुङ्क्ष्व चैनां यथाकामं गमिष्ये ऽहं द्विजोत्तम हृष्टो ऽथ दर्शयामास स्वात्मानं धर्मराट् स्वयम्

'Enjoy her as you wish; I will depart, O best of Brāhmaṇas.' Then, rejoicing, the king of Dharma revealed his true form.

प्रददौ चेप्सितं सर्वं तमाह च महाद्युतिः एषा न भुक्ता विप्रेन्द्र मनसापि सुशोभना

He granted all that was desired and, shining greatly, spoke: 'O best of Brāhmaṇas, she has not been enjoyed by me, not even in thought.'

मया चैषा न संदेहः श्रद्धां ज्ञातुमिहागतः जितो वै यस्त्वया मृत्युर् धर्मेणैकेन सुव्रत

'There is no doubt that I have not touched her; I came here to test your faith. By you, O virtuous one, death has truly been conquered by Dharma alone.'

अहो ऽस्य तपसो वीर्यम् इत्युक्त्वा प्रययौ च सः तस्मात्तथा पूजनीयाः सर्वे ह्यतिथयः सदा

Saying, 'Ah, the power of his austerity!' he departed; therefore, all guests must always be honored in this way.

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन भाग्यहीना द्विजोत्तमाः तमेव शरणं तूर्णं गन्तुमर्हथ शङ्करम्

What more need be said, O best of twice-born? Those bereft of fortune should swiftly seek refuge in Śaṅkara alone.

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्रह्मणो ब्राह्मणर्षभाः ब्रह्माणमभिवन्द्यार्ताः प्रोचुराकुलितेक्षणाः

Hearing these words of Brahmā, the foremost of Brāhmaṇas, distressed and with troubled eyes, bowed to Brahmā and spoke:

नापेक्षितं महाभाग जीवितं विकृताः स्त्रियः दृष्टो ऽस्माभिर् महादेवो निन्दितो यस्त्वनिन्दितः

O greatly fortunate one, our lives are disregarded and the women are distraught; we have seen Mahādeva, who is blameless, yet we have reviled him.

शप्तश् च सर्वगः शूली पिनाकी नीललोहितः अज्ञानाच्छापजा शक्तिः कुण्ठितास्यनिरीक्षणात्

He who is all-pervading, the wielder of the trident, bearer of the bow Pināka, the blue-red one, has been cursed; through ignorance, the power of our curse is rendered ineffective by merely beholding him.

वक्तुमर्हसि देवेश संन्यासं वै क्रमेण तु द्रष्टुं वै देवदेवेशम् उग्रं भीमं कपर्दिनम्

O Lord of the gods, you should explain in order the renunciation by which we may see the Lord of gods, fierce, formidable, and matted-haired.

आदौ वेदानधीत्यैव श्रद्धया च गुरोः सदा विचार्यार्थं मुनेर्धर्मान् प्रतिज्ञाय द्विजोत्तमाः

First, having studied the Vedas with faith under a teacher, always reflecting on their meaning, and having vowed to follow the duties of a sage, O best of twice-born,

ग्रहणान्तं हि वा विद्वान् अथ द्वादशवार्षिकम् स्नात्वाहृत्य च दारान्वै पुत्रानुत्पाद्य सुव्रतान्

Or, after completing the period of Vedic study, or after twelve years, having bathed, taken a wife, and begotten virtuous sons,

वृत्तिभिश्चानुरूपाभिस् तान् विभज्य सुतान्मुनिः अग्निष्टोमादिभिश्चेष्ट्वा यज्ञैर्यज्ञेश्वरं विभुम्

The sage, dividing his property among his sons according to their proper means of livelihood, and having performed sacrifices such as Agniṣṭoma to the Lord of sacrifice,

पूजयेत् परमात्मानं प्राप्यारण्यं विभावसौ मुनिर्द्वादशवर्षं वा वर्षमात्रम् अथापि वा

Having reached the forest, the sage should worship the Supreme Self, living there for twelve years, or even for a single year, sustained by fire.

पक्षद्वादशकं वापि दिनद्वादशकं तु वा क्षीरभुक् संयुतः शान्तः सर्वान् सम्पूजयेत्सुरान्

Or for twelve fortnights, or even for twelve days, subsisting on milk, remaining peaceful, he should worship all the gods.

इष्ट्वैवं जुहुयादग्नौ यज्ञपात्राणि मन्त्रतः अप्सु वै पार्थिवं न्यस्य गुरवे तैजसानि तु

Having thus performed sacrifices, he should offer the sacrificial vessels into the fire with mantras, place the earthen ones in water, and give the metallic ones to the teacher.

स्वधनं सकलं चैव ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशङ्कया प्रणिपत्य गुरुं भूमौ विरक्तः संन्यसेद्यतिः

Giving all his wealth to the Brāhmaṇas without reservation, bowing to his teacher on the ground, detached, the ascetic should renounce.

निकृत्य केशान् सशिखान् उपवीतं विसृज्य च पञ्चभिर् जुहुयाद् अप्सु भूः स्वाहेति विचक्षणः

Cutting off his hair with the tuft, discarding the sacred thread, the wise one should offer five oblations into water, saying 'bhūḥ svāhā.'

ततश्चोर्ध्वं चरेदेवं यतिः शिवविमुक्तये व्रतेनानशनेनापि तोयवृत्त्यापि वा पुनः

Thereafter, the ascetic should live in this way for liberation by Śiva, by vows, by fasting, or even subsisting on water.

पर्णवृत्त्या पयोवृत्त्या फलवृत्त्यापि वा यतिः एवं जीवन्मृतो नो चेत् षण्मासाद्वत्सरात्तु वा

Or by living on leaves, on milk, or on fruit, the ascetic thus becomes as if dead while alive; if not, then after six months or a year.

प्रस्थानादिकमायासं स्वदेहस्य चरेद्यतिः शिवसायुज्यमाप्नोति कर्मणाप्येवमाचरन्

The ascetic should endure the hardships of departure and the like for his own body; by acting thus, he attains union with Śiva, even through action.

सद्यो ऽपि लभते मुक्तिं भक्तियुक्तो दृढव्रताः

Even immediately, one endowed with devotion and firm vows attains liberation.

त्यागेन वा किं विधिनाप्य् अनेन भक्तस्य रुद्रस्य शुभैर्व्रतैश्च यज्ञैश् च दानैर्विविधैश् च होमैर् लब्धैश्चशास्त्रैर्विविधैश् च वेदैः

Or by renunciation, or by this very method, the devotee of Rudra attains liberation through auspicious vows, sacrifices, various gifts, oblations, and through the various scriptures and Vedas obtained.

श्वेतेनैवं जितो मृत्युर् भवभक्त्या महात्मना वो ऽस्तु भक्तिर्महादेवे शङ्करे परमात्मनि

Thus, by Śveta, death was conquered through devotion to existence by the great-souled one. May you have devotion to Mahādeva, Śaṅkara, the Supreme Self.

एवमुक्तास्तदा तेन ब्रह्मणा ब्राह्मणर्षभाः श्वेतस्य च कथां पुण्याम् अपृच्छन् परमर्षयः

When addressed in this way by Brahmā, the foremost of Brāhmaṇas, the exalted sages inquired about the sacred story of Śveta.

श्वेतो नाम मुनिः श्रीमान् गतायुर्गिरिगह्वरे सक्तो ह्यभ्यर्च्य यद्भक्त्या तुष्टाव च महेश्वरम्

There was a sage named Śveta, illustrious, whose lifespan had ended, dwelling in a mountain cave, who, absorbed in worship, praised Maheśvara with devotion.

रुद्राध्यायेन पुण्येन नमस्तेत्यादिना द्विजाः ततः कालो महातेजाः कालप्राप्तं द्विजोत्तमम्

With the sacred Rudrādhyāya, beginning with 'namas', O twice-born, then Time, of great brilliance, approached the foremost of Brāhmaṇas whose time had come.

नेतुं संचिन्त्य विप्रेन्द्राः सान्निध्यमकरोन्मुनेः श्वेतो ऽपि दृष्ट्वा तं कालं कालप्राप्तो ऽपि शङ्करम्

Intending to take him, the best of Brāhmaṇas, the presence of Time appeared before the sage. Śveta, seeing Time, though his time had come, remembered Śaṅkara.

पूजयामास पुण्यात्मा त्रियंबकमनुस्मरन् त्रियंबकं यजेदेवं सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्

That virtuous soul began to worship Tryambaka, remembering him—the divine Tryambaka, fragrant, who increases nourishment.