Linga Purana

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा पिता मे लोकविश्रुतः शिलाद इति पुण्यात्मा पुनः प्राह शचीपतिम्

Hearing these words, my father, renowned in the world as Śilāda, a virtuous soul, again spoke to the lord of Śacī.

भगवन्नण्डयोनित्वं पद्मयोनित्वमेव च महेश्वराङ्गयोनित्वं श्रुतं वै ब्रह्मणो मया

O Lord, I have heard of birth without a womb, of birth from the lotus, and of birth from the body of Maheśvara, and also of Brahmā.

पुरा महेन्द्रदायादाद् गदतश्चास्य पूर्वजात् नारदाद्वै महाबाहो कथमत्राशु नो वद

O mighty one, formerly, from the lineage of Mahendra, and in earlier births, from Nārada, I have heard this—tell me quickly how this is so here.

दाक्षायणी सा दक्षो ऽपि देवः पद्मोद्भवात्मजः पौत्रीकनकगर्भस्य कथं तस्याः सुतो विभुः

Dakṣāyaṇī is the daughter of Dakṣa, and the god born from the lotus is her son; how then is she the daughter of the golden womb, and how is that mighty one her son?

स्थाने संशयितुं विप्र तव वक्ष्यामि कारणम् कल्पे तत्पुरुषे वृत्तं ब्रह्मणः परमेष्ठिनः

It is appropriate for you to doubt, O Brahmin; I will tell you the reason. In the Purusha Kalpa, this event concerning the supreme Brahmā occurred.

ससर्ज सकलं ध्यात्वा ब्रह्माणं परमेश्वरः जनार्दनो जगन्नाथः कल्पे वै मेघवाहने

Having contemplated, the supreme Lord Janārdana, the Lord of the universe, created all beings, including Brahmā, in the Meghavāhana Kalpa.

दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु मेघो भूत्वावहद्धरम् नारायणो महादेवं बहुमानेन सादरम्

For a divine thousand years, becoming a cloud, Nārāyaṇa, with great respect and honor, bore the great god.

दृष्ट्वा भावं महादेवो हरेः स्वात्मनि शङ्करः प्रददौ तस्य सकलं स्रष्टुं वै ब्रह्मणा सह

Seeing the disposition of Hari within himself, Śaṅkara, the great god, granted him the power to create everything, together with Brahmā.

तदा तं कल्पमाहुर्वै मेघवाहनसंज्ञया हिरण्यगर्भस्तं दृष्ट्वा तस्य देहोद्भवस्तदा

Then, that kalpa was named Meghavāhana; seeing him, Hiraṇyagarbha was then born from his body.

जनार्दनसुतः प्राह तपसा प्राप्य शङ्करम् तव वामाङ्गजो विष्णुर् दक्षिणाङ्गभवो ह्यहम्

The son of Janārdana spoke, having attained Śaṅkara through austerity: ‘Viṣṇu is born from your left side, and I am born from your right side.’

मया सह जगत्सर्वं तथाप्यसृजदच्युतः जगन्मयो ऽवहद्यस्मान् मेघो भूत्वा दिवानिशम्

Together with me, Acyuta created the entire world; being the essence of the universe, he, becoming a cloud, bore us day and night.

भवन्तमवहद्विष्णुर् देवदेवं जगद्गुरुम् नारायणादपि विभो भक्तो ऽहं तव शङ्कर

Viṣṇu brought you, O god of gods, teacher of the world; O mighty one, I am your devotee, Śaṅkara, even more than of Nārāyaṇa.

प्रसीद देहि मे सर्वं सर्वात्मत्वं तव प्रभो तदाथ लब्ध्वा भगवान् भवात्सर्वात्मतां क्षणात्

Be gracious, grant me everything, for you are the soul of all, O Lord. Then, having obtained this, the blessed one instantly gained the state of being the soul of all from you.

त्वरमाणो ऽथ संगम्य ददर्श पुरुषोत्तमम् एकार्णवालये शुभ्रे त्व् अन्धकारे सुदारुणे

Hastening, he approached and saw the Supreme Person, in the pure abode of the single ocean, in a darkness most terrible.

हेमरत्नचिते दिव्ये मनसा च विनिर्मिते दुष्प्राप्ये दुर्जनैः पुण्यैः सनकाद्यैरगोचरे

In a divine place adorned with gold and jewels, fashioned by the mind, unattainable by the wicked, accessible only by the virtuous, and unseen even by Sanaka and others.

जगदावासहृदयं ददर्श पुरुषं त्वजः अनन्तभोगशय्यायां शायिनं पङ्कजेक्षणम्

The unborn one beheld the Person whose heart is the abode of the world, lying on the endless serpent-bed, with lotus-like eyes.

शङ्खचक्रगदापद्मं धारयन्तं चतुर्भुजम् सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तं शशिमण्डलसन्निभम्

Bearing conch, discus, mace, and lotus, with four arms, adorned with all ornaments, resembling the orb of the moon.

श्रीवत्सलक्षणं देवं प्रसन्नास्यं जनार्दनम् रमामृदुकराम्भोजस्पर्शरक्तपदाम्बुजम्

The god marked with Śrīvatsa, with a gracious face, Janārdana, whose lotus feet are reddened by the gentle touch of Lakṣmī's hands.

परमात्मानमीशानं तमसा कालरूपिणम् रजसा सर्वलोकानां सर्गलीलाप्रवर्तकम्

The Supreme Self, the Lord, who is darkness in the form of time, and by rajas sets in motion the play of creation for all worlds.

सत्त्वेन सर्वभूतानां स्थापकं परमेश्वरम् सर्वात्मानं महात्मानं परमात्मानमीश्वरम्

By sattva, the establisher of all beings, the supreme Lord, the soul of all, the great soul, the Supreme Self, the Lord.

क्षीरार्णवे ऽमृतमये शायिनं योगनिद्रया तं दृष्ट्वा प्राह वै ब्रह्मा भगवन्तं जनार्दनम्

Lying in the milk ocean, made of nectar, in yogic sleep—seeing him, Brahmā spoke to the blessed Janārdana.

ग्रसामि त्वां प्रसादेन यथापूर्वं भवानहम् स्मयमानस्तु भगवान् प्रतिबुध्य पितामहम्

"By your grace, I will absorb you, as before, for I am you." But the blessed one, smiling, awakened the Grandfather.

उदैक्षत महाबाहुः स्मितमीषच्चकार सः विवेश चाण्डजं तं तु ग्रस्तस्तेन महात्मना

The mighty-armed one looked at him and smiled slightly, and entered the egg-born one, who was then absorbed by that great soul.

ततस्तं चासृजद्ब्रह्मा भ्रुवोर्मध्येन चाच्युतम् सृष्टस्तेन हरिः प्रेक्ष्य स्थितस्तस्याथ संनिधौ

Then Brahmā created him, Acyuta, from between his brows; thus created, Hari stood there in his presence.

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे रुद्रः सर्वदेवभवोद्भवः विकृतं रूपमास्थाय पुरा दत्तवरस्तयोः

Meanwhile, Rudra, the source of all gods, assuming a fierce form, as previously granted by boon to the two, appeared.

आगच्छद्यत्र वै विष्णुर् विश्वात्मा परमेश्वरः प्रसादमतुलं कर्तुं ब्रह्मणश् च हरेः प्रभुः

There arrived Viṣṇu, the soul of the universe, supreme Lord, to bestow incomparable grace upon Brahmā and Hari, the Lord.

ततः समेत्य तौ देवौ सर्वदेवभवोद्भवम् अपश्यतां भवं देवं कालाग्निसदृशं प्रभुम्

Then, the two gods, having come together, saw Bhava, the god from whom all gods are born, resembling the fire of time, the Lord.

तौ तं तुष्टुवतुश्चैव शर्वमुग्रं कपर्दिनम् प्रणेमतुश् च वरदं बहुमानेन दूरतः

They praised that Śarva, the fierce, matted-haired one, and bowed from afar to the bestower of boons, with great reverence.

भवो ऽपि भगवान् देवम् अनुगृह्य पितामहम् जनार्दनं जगन्नाथस् तत्रैवान्तरधीयत

Bhava, the blessed Lord, having shown favor to Brahmā, and Janārdana, the Lord of the world, then disappeared right there.