Linga Purana

रुद्रलोकमनुप्राप्य न निवर्तन्ति ते पुनः तस्मादेतद्व्रतं दिव्यम् अव्यक्तं व्यक्तलिङ्गिनः

Having attained the world of Rudra, they do not return again; therefore, this vow is divine, mysterious, for those marked by the manifest linga.

भस्मव्रताश् च मुण्डाश् च व्रतिनो विश्वरूपिणः न तान्परिवदेद्विद्वान् न चैतान्नाभिलङ्घयेत्

Those who observe the ash vow, those who are shaven-headed, and those who undertake vows in various forms—let the wise not revile them, nor should one transgress their food.

न हसेन्नाप्रियं ब्रूयाद् अमुत्रेह हितार्थवान् यस्तान्निन्दति मूढात्मा महादेवं स निन्दति

One should not laugh at them, nor speak unpleasant words, here or elsewhere, with harmful intent; whoever insults them, that deluded soul insults Mahadeva himself.

यस् त्वेतान् पूजयेन् नित्यं स पूजयति शङ्करम् एवमेष महादेवो लोकानां हितकाम्यया

But whoever worships these people constantly, indeed worships Shankara; thus this great god, desiring the welfare of the worlds—

युगे युगे महायोगी क्रीडते भस्मगुण्ठितः एवं चरत भद्रं वस् ततः सिद्धिमवाप्स्यथ

In every age, the great yogi, covered in ash, plays in this way; act thus, O blessed ones, and you will thereby attain perfection.

अतुलमिह महाभयप्रणाशहेतुं शिवकथितं परमं पदं विदित्वा व्यपगतभवलोभमोहचित्ताः प्रणिपतिताः सहसा शिरोभिर् उग्रम्

Knowing this supreme state, told by Shiva, which is incomparable here and the cause of the destruction of great fear, those whose minds are free from the delusion of worldly attachment, greed, and infatuation, bow down swiftly with their heads to the fierce one.

ततः प्रमुदिता विप्राः श्रुत्वैवं कथितं तदा गन्धोदकैः सुशुद्धैश् च कुशपुष्पविमिश्रितैः

Then, the delighted brahmins, having heard this teaching, with pure sandal-water mixed with sacred grass and flowers—

स्नापयन्ति महाकुम्भैर् अद्भिर् एव महेश्वरम् गायन्ति विविधैर्गुह्यैर् हुंकारैश्चापि सुस्वरैः

They bathe the great lord with water from large vessels, singing with various secret hymns and with resonant 'hum' sounds.

नमो देवाधिदेवाय महादेवाय वै नमः अर्धनारीशरीराय सांख्ययोगप्रवर्तिने

Homage to the god of gods, indeed homage to the great god, homage to the one whose body is half-woman, the initiator of Sankhya and Yoga.

मेघवाहनकृष्णाय गजचर्मनिवासिने कृष्णाजिनोत्तरीयाय व्यालयज्ञोपवीतिने

To the dark one who rides the clouds, who wears an elephant hide, who has a black antelope skin as an upper garment, and a serpent as his sacred thread—

सुरचितसुविचित्रकुण्डलाय सुरचितमाल्यविभूषणाय तुभ्यम् मृगपतिवरचर्मवाससे च प्रथितयशसे नमो ऽस्तु शङ्कराय

To you, adorned with beautifully crafted earrings and garlands made by the gods, clothed in the skin of the lord of beasts, famed everywhere—homage to Shankara.

ततस् तान् स मुनीन् प्रीतः प्रत्युवाच महेश्वरः प्रीतो ऽस्मि तपसा युष्मान् वरं वृणुत सुव्रताः

Then, pleased, the great lord spoke to those sages: 'I am pleased with your austerity; O virtuous ones, choose a boon.'

ततस्ते मुनयः सर्वे प्रणिपत्य महेश्वरम् भृग्वङ्गिरा वसिष्ठश् च विश्वामित्रस्तथैव च

Thereupon, all those sages—Bhrigu, Angiras, Vasishtha, and likewise Vishvamitra—bowed to Maheshvara.

गौतमो ऽत्रिः सुकेशश् च पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः मरीचिः कश्यपः कण्वः संवर्तश् च महातपाः

Gautama, Atri, Sukesha, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Marichi, Kashyapa, Kanva, and the great ascetic Samvarta—

ते प्रणम्य महादेवम् इदं वचनमब्रुवन् भस्मस्नानं च नग्नत्वं वामत्वं प्रतिलोमता

Having bowed to Mahadeva, they spoke these words: 'We wish to know about bathing in ash, nakedness, left-handedness, and contrary conduct—what is to be followed and what is to be avoided?'

सेव्यासेव्यत्वमेवं च ह्य् एतदिच्छाम वेदितुम् ततस्तेषां वचः श्रुत्वा भगवान्परमेश्वरः

Having heard their words, the blessed supreme lord—

सस्मितं प्राह सम्प्रेक्ष्य सर्वान्मुनिवरांस्तदा

Smiling, he looked upon all those best of sages and then spoke.

एतद्वः सम्प्रवक्ष्यामि कथा सर्वस्वमद्य वै अग्निर्ह्यहं सोमकर्ता सोमश्चाग्निमुपाश्रितः

Now I shall tell you this story, my all, today: I am Agni, the maker of Soma, and Soma is dependent upon Agni.

कृतमेतद्वहत्यग्निर् भूयो लोकसमाश्रयात् असकृत्त्वग्निना दग्धं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम्

Agni bears this creation, and again, for the sake of the world, the universe of moving and unmoving beings has been burned many times by Agni.

भस्मसाद्विहितं सर्वं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् भस्मना वीर्यमास्थाय भूतानि परिषिञ्चति

All this is made supremely pure by ashes; empowered by the potency of ashes, one sprinkles it upon beings.

अग्निकार्यं च यः कृत्वा करिष्यति त्रियायुषम् भस्मना मम वीर्येण मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषैः

Whoever, having performed the fire ritual, lives out three spans of life, is freed from all sins by my power in the ashes.

भासत इत्येव यद्भस्म शुभं भावयते च यत् भक्षणात् सर्वपापानां भस्मेति परिकीर्तितम्

That which shines forth is called 'bhasma' (ash), and that which purifies is also so named; by consuming it, all sins are destroyed—hence it is called 'bhasma.'

ऊष्मपाः पितरो ज्ञेया देवा वै सोमसंभवाः अग्नीषोमात्मकं सर्वं जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम्

Know that the ancestors are heat-drinkers, and the gods are born of Soma; all the world, moving and unmoving, is of the nature of Agni and Soma.

अहमग्निर्महातेजाः सोमश्चैषा महांबिका अहमग्निश् च सोमश् च प्रकृत्या पुरुषः स्वयम्

I am Agni, of great brilliance; Soma is this great Ambika. I am Agni and Soma by nature, and I myself am the Purusha.

तस्माद्भस्म महाभागा मद्वीर्यमिति चोच्यते स्ववीर्यं वपुषा चैव धारयामीति वै स्थितिः

Therefore, O highly fortunate ones, the ash is said to be my potency; I sustain my own power and form in it, and thus it endures.

तदाप्रभृति लोकेषु रक्षार्थमशुभेषु च भस्मना क्रियते रक्षा सूतिकानां गृहेषु च

From that time onward, for protection in the worlds and against inauspicious things, ashes are used for safeguarding, including in the houses of women after childbirth.

भस्मस्नानविशुद्धात्मा जितक्रोधो जितेन्द्रियः मत्समीपं समागम्य न भूयो विनिवर्तते

One whose mind is purified by bathing in ashes, who has conquered anger and the senses, having come near to me, does not return again.

व्रतं पाशुपतं योगं कापिलं चैव निर्मितम् पूर्वं पाशुपतं ह्येतन् निर्मितं तदनुत्तमम्

The Pashupata vow and the Kapila yoga were established; formerly, this Pashupata was indeed created, and it is unsurpassed.

शेषाश्चाश्रमिणः सर्वे पश्चात्सृष्टाः स्वयंभुवा सृष्टिरेषा मया सृष्टा लज्जामोहभयात्मिका

All the other dwellers in the ashramas were created later by the Self-born; this creation was made by me, consisting of modesty, delusion, and fear.