Linga Purana

चक्रुर्देवास्ततस्तस्य विष्णोः साहाय्यमव्ययाः द्विजेनैकेन योद्धुं हि प्रवृत्तस्य महाबलाः

Then the imperishable gods assisted Vishnu, the mighty ones having set out to fight the Brahmin alone.

कुशमुष्टिं तदादाय दधीचः संस्मरन्भवम् ससर्ज सर्वदेवेभ्यो वज्रास्थिः सर्वतो वशी

Taking a handful of kusa grass and remembering Bhava, Dadhicha created the thunderbolt-bone for all the gods, sovereign in every way.

दिव्यं त्रिशूलम् अभवत् कालाग्निसदृशप्रभम् दग्धुं देवान्मतिं चक्रे युगान्ताग्निरिवापरः

A divine trident appeared, shining like the fire of destruction at the end of an age, intent on burning the gods like another cosmic fire.

इन्द्रनारायणाद्यैश् च देवैस्त्यक्तानि यानि तु आयुधानि समस्तानि प्रणेमुस् त्रिशिखं मुने

All the weapons abandoned by Indra, Narayana, and the other gods bowed to the trident, O sage.

देवाश् च दुद्रुवुः सर्वे ध्वस्तवीर्या द्विजोत्तम ससर्ज भगवान् विष्णुः स्वदेहात्पुरुषोत्तमः

All the gods, their strength shattered, fled, O best of twice-born; then the blessed Vishnu, supreme among men, created from his own body—

आत्मनः सदृशान् दिव्यांल् लक्षलक्षायुतान् गणान् तानि सर्वाणि सहसा ददाह मुनिसत्तमः

Divine hosts, hundreds of thousands in number, resembling himself; and the best of sages suddenly burned them all.

ततो विस्मयनार्थाय विश्वमूर्तिरभूद्धरिः तस्य देहे हरेः साक्षाद् अपश्यद्द्विजसत्तमः

Then, for the sake of wonder, Hari became the universal form; and the best of Brahmins saw that form of Hari directly.

दधीचो भगवान्विप्रः देवतानां गणान् पृथक् रुद्राणां कोटयश्चैव गणानां कोटयस्तदा

The blessed sage Dadhicha saw separately the hosts of gods, the multitudes of Rudras, and the hosts of their groups at that time.

अण्डानां कोटयश्चैव विश्वमूर्तेस्तनौ तदा दृष्ट्वैतदखिलं तत्र च्यावनिर् विस्मितं तदा

He also saw the multitudes of cosmic eggs in the body of the universal form; seeing all this there, Cyavana was amazed.

विष्णुमाह जगन्नाथं जगन्मयमजं विभुम् अंभसाभ्युक्ष्य तं विष्णुं विश्वरूपं महामुनिः

He addressed Vishnu, Lord of the universe, unborn, all-pervading, having sprinkled that Vishnu, the universal form, with water, O great sage.

मायां त्यज महाबाहो प्रतिभासा विचारतः विज्ञानानां सहस्राणि दुर्विज्ञेयानि माधव

Abandon illusion, O mighty-armed one; appearances are deceptive. O Madhava, thousands of kinds of knowledge are difficult to comprehend.

मयि पश्य जगत् सर्वं त्वया सार्धम् अनिन्दित ब्रह्माणं च तथा रुद्रं दिव्यां दृष्टिं ददामि ते

See the whole world in me, together with yourself, O blameless one, as well as Brahma and Rudra; I grant you divine sight.

इत्युक्त्वा दर्शयामास स्वतनौ निखिलं मुनिः तं प्राह च हरिं देवं सर्वदेवभवोद्भवम्

Having spoken thus, the sage revealed everything in his own body, and addressed Hari, the god, origin of all the gods.

मायया ह्यनया किं वा मन्त्रशक्त्याथ वा प्रभो वस्तुशक्त्याथ वा विष्णो ध्यानशक्त्याथ वा पुनः

Is this by means of this illusion, or by the power of mantra, or by the power of substance, O Lord, or again by the power of meditation, O Vishnu?

त्यक्त्वा मायामिमां तस्माद् योद्धुमर्हसि यत्नतः एवं तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा माहात्म्यमद्भुतम्

Therefore, abandoning this illusion, you should strive to fight; hearing these words and seeing his wondrous greatness—

देवाश् च दुद्रुवुर्भूयो देवं नारायणं च तम् वारयामास निश्चेष्टं पद्मयोनिर्जगद्गुरुः

The gods again fled, but the Lord of the World, Brahmā, the Lotus-born, restrained Nārāyaṇa, who stood motionless.

निशम्य वचनं तस्य ब्रह्मणस्तेन निर्जितः जगाम भगवान् विष्णुः प्रणिपत्य महामुनिम्

Hearing the words of Brahmā, by whom he had been overcome, the blessed Viṣṇu approached the great sage and bowed to him.

क्षुपो दुःखातुरो भूत्वा सम्पूज्य च मुनीश्वरम् दधीचमभिवन्द्याशु प्रार्थयामास विक्लवः

Kṣupa, afflicted by sorrow, after honoring the best of sages, quickly bowed to Dadhīca and, distressed, began to plead.

दधीच क्षम्यतां देव मयाज्ञानात्कृतं सखे विष्णुना हि सुरैर्वापि रुद्रभक्तस्य किं तव

Dadhīca, forgive me, O god; what was done by me was out of ignorance, O friend. What is there for you, devoted to Rudra, from Viṣṇu or even the other gods?

प्रसीद परमेशान दुर्लभा दुर्जनैर्द्विज भक्तिर्भक्तिमतां श्रेष्ठ मद्विधैः क्षत्रियाधमैः

Be gracious, Supreme Lord; devotion is rare among the wicked, O twice-born. O best of the devoted, among those like me, the lowest of kṣatriyas, devotion is hard to find.

श्रुत्वानुगृह्य तं विप्रो दधीचस्तपतां वरः राजानं मुनिशार्दूलः शशाप च सुरोत्तमान्

Hearing and accepting him, the best of ascetics, Dadhīca, the foremost of sages, cursed the king and the excellent gods.

रुद्रकोपाग्निना देवाः सदेवेन्द्रा मुनीश्वरैः ध्वस्ता भवन्तु देवेन विष्णुना च समन्विताः

By the fire of Rudra’s wrath, may the gods, along with Indra and the great sages, be destroyed by the god, together with Viṣṇu.

प्रजापतेर् मखे पुण्ये दक्षस्य सुमहात्मनः एवं शप्त्वा क्षुपं प्रेक्ष्य पुनराह द्विजोत्तमः

At the auspicious sacrifice of Dakṣa, the great-souled lord of creatures, having thus cursed Kṣupa, the best of twice-born spoke again, looking at him.

देवैश् च पूज्या राजेन्द्र नृपैश् च विविधैर्गणैः ब्राह्मणा एव राजेन्द्र बलिनः प्रभविष्णवः

O king of rulers, the gods are to be worshipped by kings and by various groups, but, O king, the brāhmaṇas alone are powerful and capable.

इत्युक्त्वा स्वोटजं विप्रः प्रविवेश महाद्युतिः दधीचमभिवन्द्यैव जगाम स्वं नृपः क्षयम्

Having spoken thus, the illustrious sage entered his own hermitage; the king, having bowed to Dadhīca, returned to his own abode.

तदेव तीर्थमभवत् स्थानेश्वरमिति स्मृतम् स्थानेश्वरम् अनुप्राप्य शिवसायुज्यम् आप्नुयात्

That very place became a sacred ford, known as Sthāneśvara; one who reaches Sthāneśvara attains union with Śiva.

कथितस्तव संक्षेपाद् विवादः क्षुब्दधीचयोः प्रभावश् च दधीचस्य भवस्य च महामुने

Thus, in brief, has the dispute between Kṣupa and Dadhīca been told to you, as well as the greatness of Dadhīca and of Bhava, O great sage.

य इदं कीर्तयेद्दिव्यं विवादं क्षुब्दधीचयोः जित्वापमृत्युं देहान्ते ब्रह्मलोकं प्रयाति सः

Whoever recites this divine dispute between Kṣupa and Dadhīca, conquering premature death, attains Brahmā’s world at the end of the body.

य इदं कीर्त्य संग्रामं प्रविशेत्तस्य सर्वदा नास्ति मृत्युभयं चैव विजयी च भविष्यति

Whoever, having recited this battle, enters combat, for him there will never be fear of death, and he will always be victorious.