Linga Purana

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.

तमो ह्यग्नी रजो ब्रह्मा सत्त्वं विष्णुः प्रकाशकम् मूर्तिरेका स्थिता चास्य मूर्तयः परिकीर्तिताः

Darkness is Agni, passion is Brahma, and clarity is Vishnu, the illuminator; though his form is one, these manifestations are declared as his aspects.

यत्र तिष्ठति तद्ब्रह्म योगेन तु समन्वितम् तस्माद्धि देवदेवेशम् ईशानं प्रभुमव्ययम्

Wherever that Brahman abides, united with yoga, therefore one should worship the Lord of gods, Ishana, the imperishable master.

आराधयन्ति विप्रेन्द्रा जितक्रोधा जितेन्द्रियाः लिङ्गं कृत्वा यथान्यायं सर्वलक्षणसंयुतम्

The foremost brahmins, who have conquered anger and their senses, worship the linga properly, endowed with all auspicious marks.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रं सुशुभं सुवृत्तं सर्वसंमतम् समनाभं तथाष्टास्रं षोडशास्रम् अथापि वा

It should be as beautiful as a thumb, perfectly shaped, universally approved, with a pedestal equal in height, eight-sided or even sixteen-sided.

सुवृत्तं मण्डलं दिव्यं सर्वकामफलप्रदम् वेदिका द्विगुणा तस्य समा वा सर्वसंमता

The pedestal should be well-formed, circular, divine, and bestow all desires; its base should be twice as wide, or equal, as is universally accepted.

गोमुखी च त्रिभागैका वेद्या लक्षणसंयुता पट्टिका च समन्ताद्वै यवमात्रा द्विजोत्तमाः

The pedestal should have a cow's mouth shape, one third of the whole, marked with auspicious signs, and a band all around, the width of a barley grain, O best of twice-born.

सौवर्णं राजतं शैलं कृत्वा ताम्रमयं तथा वेदिकायाश् च विस्तारं त्रिगुणं वै समन्ततः

It may be made of gold, silver, stone, or copper; the breadth of the pedestal should be three times its size on all sides.

वर्तुलं चतुरस्रं वा षडस्रं वा त्रिरस्रकम् समन्तान्निर्व्रणं शुभ्रं लक्षणैस्तत् सुलक्षितम्

It may be round, square, hexagonal, or triangular, flawless on all sides, bright, and clearly marked with auspicious characteristics.

प्रतिष्ठाप्य यथान्यायं पूजालक्षणसंयुतम् कलशं स्थापयेत्तस्य वेदिमध्ये तथा द्विजाः

Having established, according to proper procedure, a vessel endowed with the marks of worship, one should place it at the center of the altar, O twice-born ones.

सहिरण्यं सबीजं च ब्रह्मभिश् चाभिमन्त्रितम् सेचयेच्च ततो लिङ्गं पवित्रैः पञ्चभिः शुभैः

Filled with gold and seeds, and consecrated by the Brahmins with mantras, then one should bathe the liṅga with five pure and auspicious substances.