Linga Purana

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.

क्षयं जघान पादेन वज्रास्थित्वं च लब्धवान् मयापि निर्जितो मृत्युर् महादेवस्य कीर्तनात्

I struck down decay with my foot and attained the firmness of a thunderbolt; even death was conquered by me through the praise of Mahadeva.

श्वेतेनापि गतेनास्यं मृत्योर्मुनिवरेण तु महादेवप्रसादेन जितो मृत्युर्यथा मया

By the grace of Mahadeva, death was conquered by me just as the sage with a white body also overcame death.

कथं भवप्रसादेन देवदारुवनौकसः प्रपन्नाः शरणं देवं वक्तुमर्हसि मे प्रभो

O Lord, you should tell me how, by the grace of Bhava, the dwellers of Devadaru forest sought refuge in the Divine.

तानुवाच महाभागान् भगवान् आत्मभूः स्वयम् देवदारुवनस्थांस्तु तपसा पावकप्रभान्

The blessed Lord, the self-born, spoke to those great souls themselves, who were present in the Devadaru forest, radiant with the power of their austerities.

एष देवो महादेवो विज्ञेयस्तु महेश्वरः न तस्मात्परमं किंचित् पदं समधिगम्यते

This god is Mahadeva, to be known as the Great Lord; beyond him, no higher state is ever attained.

देवानां च ऋषीनां च पितॄणां चैव स प्रभुः सहस्रयुगपर्यन्ते प्रलये सर्वदेहिनः

He is the Lord of the gods, the seers, and the ancestors; at the end of a thousand ages, he dissolves all embodied beings.

संहरत्येष भगवान् कालो भूत्वा महेश्वरः एष चैव प्रजाः सर्वाः सृजत्येकः स्वतेजसा

This blessed one, as Maheshvara, becomes Time and withdraws all beings; and by his own power, he alone creates all creatures.

एष चक्री च वज्री च श्रीवत्सकृतलक्षणः योगी कृतयुगे चैव त्रेतायां क्रतुर् उच्यते

He is the one with the discus and the thunderbolt, marked by the Srivatsa; in the Krita age, he is called the Yogi, and in the Treta, the Sacrifice.

द्वापरे चैव कालाग्निर् धर्मकेतुः कलौ स्मृतः रुद्रस्य मूर्तयस्त्वेता ये ऽभिध्यायन्ति पण्डिताः

In Dvapara, he is the fire of time; in Kali, he is known as the Banner of Dharma; these are the forms of Rudra, as recognized by the learned.

चतुरस्रं बहिश्चान्तर् अष्टास्रं पिण्डिकाश्रये वृत्तं सुदर्शनं योग्यम् एवं लिङ्गं प्रपूजयेत्

One should worship the linga that is square outside, eight-sided within the pedestal, and perfectly round and beautiful above.