Linga Purana

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.

गते महेश्वरे देवे तमुद्दिश्य जनार्दनः प्रणम्य भगवान्प्राह पद्मयोनिमजोद्भवः

When the great god Maheśvara had departed, Janārdana, having bowed to him, addressed the lotus-born Brahmā.

परमेशो जगन्नाथः शङ्करस्त्वेष सर्वगः आवयोरखिलस्येशः शरणं च महेश्वरः

The supreme lord, the master of the universe, Śaṅkara, is all-pervading; he is the lord of all, the refuge of both of us, Maheśvara.

अहं वामाङ्गजो ब्रह्मन् शङ्करस्य महात्मनः भवान् भवस्य देवस्य दक्षिणाङ्गभवः स्वयम्

O Brahman, I am born from the left side of the great-souled Śaṅkara, and you yourself are born from the right side of the god Bhava.

मामाहुर् ऋषयः प्रेक्ष्य प्रधानं प्रकृतिं तथा अव्यक्तमजमित्येवं भवन्तं पुरुषस्त्विति

The sages, seeing me, call me the chief principle, the primal nature, the unmanifest, the unborn; and they call you the Puruṣa.

एवमाहुर्महादेवम् आवयोरपि कारणम् ईशं सर्वस्य जगतः प्रभुमव्ययमीश्वरम्

Thus they declare Mahādeva as the cause of both of us, the lord of all the worlds, the imperishable master.

सो ऽपि तस्यामरेशस्य वचनाद्वारिजोद्भवः वरेण्यं वरदं रुद्रम् अस्तुवत्प्रणनाम च

Then, at the command of that immortal lord, the lotus-born Brahmā praised and bowed to Rudra, who grants boons and is worthy of worship.

अथाम्भसा प्लुतां भूमीं समाधाय जनार्दनः पूर्ववत्स्थापयामास वाराहं रूपमास्थितः

Then Janārdana, assuming the form of a boar, placed the earth, which was submerged in water, as before.

नदीनदसमुद्रांश् च पूर्ववच्चाकरोत्प्रभुः कृत्वा चोर्वीं प्रयत्नेन निम्नोन्नतविवर्जिताम्

The lord created the rivers, streams, and oceans as before, and carefully made the earth level, free from depressions and elevations.

धरायां सो ऽचिनोत्सर्वान् भूधरान् भूधराकृतिः भूराद्यांश्चतुरो लोकान् कल्पयामास पूर्ववत्

He, taking the form of a mountain, established all the mountains on the earth, and created the four worlds beginning with Bhū, just as before.

स्रष्टुं च भगवांश्चक्रे मतिं मतिमतां वरः मुख्यं च तैर्यग्योन्यं च दैविकं मानुषं तथा

The blessed one, best among the wise, resolved to create, and produced the principal beings: those born from eggs, divine beings, and humans as well.