Linga Purana

एह्येहि श्वेत चानेन विधिना किं फलं तव रुद्रो वा भगवान् विष्णुर् ब्रह्मा वा जगदीश्वरः

'Come, come, Śveta! What fruit is there for you from this rite? Is it Rudra, the Blessed Lord, Viṣṇu, or Brahmā, the Lord of the world?'

कः समर्थः परित्रातुं मया ग्रस्तं द्विजोत्तम अनेन मम किं विप्र रौद्रेण विधिना प्रभोः

'Who is capable of saving one seized by me, O best of Brāhmaṇas? What use is this fierce rite of yours to the Lord, O Brāhmaṇa?'

नेतुं यस्योत्थितश्चाहं यमलोकं क्षणेन वै यस्माद्गतायुस्त्वं तस्मान् मुने नेतुमिहोद्यतः

'To take you, I have arisen—within a moment, to the realm of Yama. Since your lifespan is ended, O sage, I am here, ready to take you.'

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भैरवं धर्ममिश्रितम् हा रुद्र रुद्र रुद्रेति ललाप मुनिपुङ्गवः

Hearing those words of Bhairava, mingled with righteousness, the eminent sage cried out, 'Alas, Rudra! Rudra! Rudra!'

तं प्राह च महादेवं कालं सम्प्रेक्ष्य वै दृशा नेत्रेण बाष्पमिश्रेण संभ्रान्तेन समाकुलः

He gazed at Mahādeva, looking at Time with his eyes, his eyes filled with tears, agitated and distressed.

त्वया किं काल नो नाथश् चास्ति चेद्धि वृषध्वजः लिङ्गे ऽस्मिन् शङ्करो रुद्रः सर्वदेवभवोद्भवः

'What can you do, O Time, if the Lord, Vṛṣadhvaja, is present? In this liṅga is Śaṅkara, Rudra, the source of all the gods.'

अतीव भवभक्तानां मद्विधानां महात्मनाम् विधिना किं महाबाहो गच्छ गच्छ यथागतम्

'For those devoted to existence, great-souled ones like me, what use is this, O mighty-armed one? Go, go as you have come.'

ततो निशम्य कुपितस् तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रो भयङ्करः श्रुत्वा श्वेतस्य तद्वाक्यं पाशहस्तो भयावहः

Hearing Śveta's words, the enraged, sharp-toothed, terrifying, noose-bearing, fearsome Time, made a great lion's roar, clapped repeatedly, and bound the sage whose time had come.

सिंहनादं महत्कृत्वा चास्फाट्य च मुहुर्मुहुः बबन्ध च मुनिं कालः कालप्राप्तं तमाह च

After making a great lion's roar and clapping again and again, Time bound the sage whose time had come and spoke to him.

मया बद्धो ऽसि विप्रर्षे श्वेतं नेतुं यमालयम् अद्य वै देवदेवेन तव रुद्रेण किं कृतम्

'You are bound by me, O best of Brāhmaṇa sages! I am taking Śveta to the abode of Yama today. What has your Rudra, the Lord of gods, done for you?'

क्व शर्वस्तव भक्तिश् च क्व पूजा पूजया फलम् क्व चाहं क्व च मे भीतिः श्वेत बद्धो ऽसि वै मया

'Where is your devotion, your worship, and the fruit of your worship? Where am I, and where is my fear? Śveta, you are indeed bound by me.'

लिङ्गे ऽस्मिन् संस्थितः श्वेत तव रुद्रो महेश्वरः निश्चेष्टो ऽसौ महादेवः कथं पूज्यो महेश्वरः

In this liṅga, O white one, your Rudra, the great Lord, is established; that unmoving Mahādeva—how is the great Lord to be worshipped?

ततः सदाशिवः स्वयं द्विजं निहन्तुमागतम् निहन्तुमन्तकं स्मयन् स्मरारियज्ञहा हरः

Then Sadāśiva himself came, smiling, to slay the twice-born who had come to kill, to destroy Death, the enemy of Smara, the sacrificer, Hara.

त्वरन् विनिर्गतः परः शिवः स्वयं त्रिलोचनः त्रियंबको ऽम्बया समं सनन्दिना गणेश्वरैः

Swiftly emerged the supreme Śiva himself, the three-eyed one, Tryambaka, together with Ambikā, Nandin, and the lords of the gaṇas.

ससर्ज जीवितं क्षणाद् भवं निरीक्ष्य वै भयात् पपात चाशु वै बली मुनेस्तु संनिधौ द्विजाः

He instantly created life, beholding Bhava out of fear; and the mighty one quickly fell down in the presence of the sage, O twice-born.

ननाद चोर्ध्वमुच्चधीर् निरीक्ष्य चान्तकान्तकम् निरीक्षणेन वै मृतं भवस्य विप्रपुङ्गवाः

He roared loudly and, seeing the ender of death, by his very gaze, O best of Brāhmaṇas, Bhava was slain.

विनेदुरुच्चमीश्वराः सुरेश्वरा महेश्वरम् प्रणेमुरंबिकामुमां मुनीश्वरास्तु हर्षिताः

The lords of the gods loudly lamented to Maheśvara; they bowed to Ambikā and Umā, and the great sages rejoiced.

ससर्जुर् अस्य मूर्ध्नि वै मुनेर्भवस्य खेचराः सुशोभनं सुशीतलं सुपुष्पवर्षमंबरात्

The beings of the sky showered beautiful, cool, and fragrant flowers from the heavens upon the head of Bhava, the sage.

अहो निरीक्ष्य चान्तकं मृतं तदा सुविस्मितः शिलाशनात्मजो ऽव्ययं शिवं प्रणम्य शङ्करम्

Beholding Death slain, then, the astonished son of the stone (the mountain), bowed to the imperishable Śiva, Śaṅkara.

उवाच बालधीर्मृतः प्रसीद चेति वै मुनेः महेश्वरं महेश्वर-स्य चानुगो गणेश्वरः

With childish mind, the slain one said, 'Be gracious,' to the Lord of the sages, to Maheśvara, and to the leader of the gaṇas, the attendant of Maheśvara.

ततो विवेश भगवान् अनुगृह्य द्विजोत्तमम् क्षणाद्गूढशरीरं हि ध्वस्तं दृष्ट्वान्तकं क्षणात्

Then the Blessed Lord, having shown favor to the best of twice-born, entered him; seeing Death's destroyed, hidden body, he did so at once.

तस्मान्मृत्युञ्जयं चैव भक्त्या सम्पूजये द्विजाः मुक्तिदं भुक्तिदं चैव सर्वेषामपि शङ्करम्

Therefore, O twice-born, worship Mṛtyuñjaya with devotion—Śaṅkara, who grants both liberation and enjoyment to all.

बहुना किं प्रलापेन संन्यस्याभ्यर्च्य वै भवम् भक्त्या चापरया तस्मिन् विशोका वै भविष्यथ

What is the use of much talk? Renounce and worship Bhava; with supreme devotion to him, you will become free from sorrow.

एवमुक्तास्तदा तेन ब्रह्मणा ब्रह्मवादिनः प्रसीद भक्तिर्देवेशे भवेद्रुद्रे पिनाकिनि

Thus addressed at that time by Brahmā, the speakers of Brahman said: 'May devotion to the Lord of gods, to Rudra, the wielder of the bow, arise.'

केन वा तपसा देव यज्ञेनाप्यथ केन वा व्रतैर्वा भगवद्भक्ता भविष्यन्ति द्विजातयः

By what austerity, O god, or by what sacrifice, or by what vows, do the twice-born become devotees of the Blessed Lord?

न दानेन मुनिश्रेष्ठास् तपसा च न विद्यया यज्ञैर् होमैर् व्रतैर् वेदैर् योगशास्त्रैर् निरोधनैः

Not by gifts, O best of sages, nor by austerity, nor by knowledge, nor by sacrifices, oblations, vows, Vedas, yogic scriptures, or restraints—

प्रसादे नैव सा भक्तिः शिवे परमकारणे अथ तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सर्वे ते परमर्षयः

That devotion to Śiva, the supreme cause, comes only by his grace. Hearing these words, all those supreme sages—

सदारतनयाः श्रान्ताः प्रणेमुश् च पितामहम् तस्मात्पाशुपती भक्तिर् धर्मकामार्थसिद्धिदा

Tired, along with their wives and sons, bowed to the Grandfather. Therefore, Pāśupata devotion grants success in dharma, desire, and wealth.

मुनेर् विजयदा चैव सर्वमृत्युजयप्रदा दधीचस्तु पुरा भक्त्या हरिं जित्वामरैर्विभुम्

It grants victory to the sage and bestows conquest over all death. Of old, Dadhīci, by devotion, conquered Hari, the lord of immortals.