Linga Purana

किरीटी पद्महस्तश् च सर्वाभरणभूषितः पीतांबरश् च भगवान् देवैर्दैत्यैश् च संवृतः

The lord, crowned, holding a lotus, adorned with all ornaments, clad in yellow garments, surrounded by gods and demons.

प्रददौ दर्शनं तस्मै दिव्यं वै गरुडध्वजः दिव्येन दर्शनेनैव दृष्ट्वा देवं जनार्दनम्

Garuda-bannered gave him a divine vision; seeing Janardana, the god, through that divine appearance.

तुष्टाव वाग्भिर् इष्टाभिः प्रणम्य गरुडध्वजम् त्वमादिस्त्वमनादिश् च प्रकृतिस्त्वं जनार्दनः

He praised Garuda-bannered with chosen words, bowing: 'You are the beginning, you are the endless, you are the origin, O Janardana.'

पुरुषस्त्वं जगन्नाथो विष्णुर्विश्वेश्वरो भवान् यो ऽयं ब्रह्मासि पुरुषो विश्वमूर्तिः पितामहः

You are the person, the lord of the world, Vishnu, ruler of all; you are Brahma, the person, the universal form, the grandsire.

तत्त्वमाद्यं भवानेव परं ज्योतिर्जनार्दन परमात्मा परं धाम श्रीपते भूपते प्रभो

You alone are the primal truth, the supreme light, O Janardana, supreme soul, supreme abode, O lord of Shri, lord of the earth, master.

त्वत्क्रोधसंभवो रुद्रस् तमसा च समावृतः त्वत्प्रसादाज्जगद्धाता रजसा च पितामहः

Rudra arises from your wrath, enveloped in darkness; by your grace, the creator of the world, Brahma, arises with passion.

त्वत्प्रसादात्स्वयं विष्णुः सत्त्वेन पुरुषोत्तमः कालमूर्ते हरे विष्णो नारायण जगन्मय

By your grace, Vishnu himself, with purity, is Purushottama; O Hari, Vishnu, Narayana, form of the universe, embodiment of time.

महांस् तथा च भूतादिस् तन्मात्राणीन्द्रियाणि च त्वयैवाधिष्ठितान्येव विश्वमूर्ते महेश्वर

The great elements, the subtle elements, and the senses are all established by you, O universal form, O great lord.

महादेव जगन्नाथ पितामह जगद्गुरो प्रसीद देवदेवेश प्रसीद परमेश्वर

O great god, lord of the world, grandsire, teacher of the world, be gracious, O lord of gods, be gracious, O supreme lord.

प्रसीद त्वं जगन्नाथ शरण्यं शरणं गतः वैकुण्ठ शौरे सर्वज्ञ वासुदेव महाभुज

Be gracious, O lord of the world; I have come for refuge to you, O Vaikuntha, O Shauri, all-knowing, O Vasudeva, mighty-armed.

संकर्षण महाभाग प्रद्युम्न पुरुषोत्तम अनिरुद्ध महाविष्णो सदा विष्णो नमो ऽस्तु ते

O Sankarshana, greatly fortunate, O Pradyumna, O Purushottama, O Aniruddha, O great Vishnu, always Vishnu, I bow to you.

विष्णो तवासनं दिव्यम् अव्यक्तं मध्यतो विभुः सहस्रफणसंयुक्तस् तमोमूर्तिर्धराधरः

O Viṣṇu, your divine seat is unmanifest, in the middle stands the all-pervading one, joined with a thousand hoods, the embodiment of darkness, the bearer of the earth.

अधश् च धर्मो देवेश ज्ञानं वैराग्यमेव च ऐश्वर्यमासनस्यास्य पादरूपेण सुव्रत

And below, O Lord of gods, are dharma, knowledge, and indeed dispassion; O virtuous one, the seat’s feet are your sovereignty.

सप्तपातालपादस्त्वं धराजघनमेव च वासांसि सागराः सप्त दिशश्चैव महाभुजाः

You have the seven netherworlds as your feet, the earth as your hips, the seven oceans as your garments, and the directions as your mighty arms.

द्यौर्मूर्धा ते विभो नाभिः खं वायुर्नासिकां गतः नेत्रे सोमश् च सूर्यश् च केशा वै पुष्करादयः

O all-pervading one, the sky is your head, your navel is space, the wind reaches your nostrils, the moon and sun are your eyes, and your hair is the blue lotus and other flowers.

नक्षत्रतारका द्यौश् च ग्रैवेयकविभूषणम् कथं स्तोष्यामि देवेशं पूज्यश् च पुरुषोत्तमः

The stars and planets, and the sky itself, are your neck ornaments; how can I praise the Lord of gods, the supreme person, who is worthy of worship?

श्रद्धया च कृतं दिव्यं यच् छ्रुतं यच्च कीर्तितम् यदिष्टं तत्क्षमस्वेश नारायण नमो ऽस्तु ते

Whatever divine act has been done with faith, whatever has been heard or recited, if anything is amiss, O Lord, forgive that, O Nārāyaṇa, salutations to you.

इदं तु वैष्णवं स्तोत्रं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि क्षुपेण परिकीर्तितम्

This hymn to Viṣṇu destroys all sins; whoever recites or hears it, even if briefly proclaimed,

श्रावयेद्वा द्विजान् भक्त्या विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति

or causes the twice-born to hear it with devotion, he attains the world of Viṣṇu.

सम्पूज्य चैवं त्रिदशेश्वराद्यैः स्तुत्वा स्तुतं देवमजेयमीशम् विज्ञापयामास निरीक्ष्य भक्त्या जनार्दनाय प्रणिपत्य मूर्ध्ना

Having thus worshipped and praised the unconquered Lord, the ruler of the gods and others, they humbly informed Janārdana, bowing with devotion and head lowered.

भगवन्ब्राह्मणः कश्चिद् दधीच इति विश्रुतः धर्मवेत्ता विनीतात्मा सखा मम पुराभवत्

O Lord, there was a certain brāhmaṇa named Dadhīca, renowned, knower of dharma, self-controlled, who was formerly my friend.

अवध्यः सर्वदा सर्वैः शङ्करार्चनतत्परः सावज्ञं वामपादेन स मां मूर्ध्नि सदस्यथ

He was always invulnerable to all, devoted to the worship of Śaṅkara; with disrespect, he struck me on the head with his left foot in the assembly.

ताडयामास देवेश विष्णो विश्वजगत्पते उवाच च मदाविष्टो न बिभेमीति सर्वतः

O Lord of gods, O Viṣṇu, Lord of the universe, he struck me, and, intoxicated with pride, declared everywhere, 'I do not fear.'

जेतुमिच्छामि तं विप्रं दधीचं जगदीश्वर यथा हितं तथा कर्तुं त्वमर्हसि जनार्दन

O Lord of the world, I wish to defeat that brāhmaṇa Dadhīca; you should act as is proper, O Janārdana.

ज्ञात्वा सो ऽपि दधीचस्य ह्य् अवध्यत्वं महात्मनः सस्मार च महेशस्य प्रभावमतुलं हरिः

Knowing the invulnerability of the great-souled Dadhīca, Hari remembered the unequalled power of Maheśa.

एवं स्मृत्वा हरिः प्राह ब्रह्मणः क्षुतसंभवम् विप्राणां नास्ति राजेन्द्र भयमेत्य महेश्वरम्

Having remembered thus, Hari said: 'O king, there is no fear for brāhmaṇas, born of Brahmā’s hunger, from Maheśvara.'

विशेषाद्रुद्रभक्तानाम् अभयं सर्वदा नृप नीचानामपि सर्वत्र दधीचस्यास्य किं पुनः

O king, especially for devotees of Rudra, there is always fearlessness, even for the lowly everywhere; what then of Dadhīca?

तस्मात्तव महाभाग विजयो नास्ति भूपते दुःखं करोमि विप्रस्य शापार्थं ससुरस्य मे

Therefore, O highly fortunate one, you will not have victory, O king; I will cause the brāhmaṇa pain for the sake of a curse, along with the gods.

भविता तस्य शापेन दक्षयज्ञे सुरैः समम् विनाशो मम राजेन्द्र पुनरुत्थानमेव च

By his curse, O king, there will be destruction for me along with the gods at Dakṣa’s sacrifice, and then a rising again.