Linga Purana

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.

विभुश्चानुग्रहं तत्र कौमारकम् अदीनधीः पुरस्तादसृजद्देवः सनन्दं सनकं तथा

The mighty lord, compassionate and undepressed, first created Sananda and Sanaka, granting them favor.

सनातनं सतां श्रेष्ठं नैष्कर्म्येण गताः परम् मरीचिभृग्वङ्गिरसं पुलस्त्यं पुलहं क्रतुम्

He created Sanātana, the best among the virtuous, who attained the highest through renunciation; Marīci, Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, and Kratu.

दक्षमत्रिं वसिष्ठं च सो ऽसृजद् योगविद्यया संकल्पं चैव धर्मं च ह्य् अधर्मं भगवान्प्रभुः

He created Dakṣa, Atri, and Vasiṣṭha through the power of yoga; and the lord produced resolve, dharma, and indeed adharma.

द्वादशैव प्रजास्त्वेता ब्रह्मणो ऽव्यक्तजन्मनः ऋभुं सनत्कुमारं च ससर्जादौ सनातनः

These twelve progenitors were created by Brahmā, whose birth is unmanifest; at the beginning, Sanātana produced Ṛbhu and Sanatkumāra as well.

तौ चोर्ध्वरेतसौ दिव्यौ चाग्रजौ ब्रह्मवादिनौ कुमारौ ब्रह्मणस्तुल्यौ सर्वज्ञौ सर्वभाविनौ

Those two, divine, born with upward-flowing energy, foremost, versed in Brahman, were like Brahmā himself, all-knowing and all-encompassing.

एवं मुख्यादिकान् सृष्ट्वा पद्मयोनिः शिलाशन युगधर्मानशेषांश् च कल्पयामास विश्वसृक्

Thus, having created the principal and the first beings, the lotus-born creator established all the duties of the ages, the universal order.

श्रुत्वा शक्रेण कथितं पिता मम महामुनिः पुनः पप्रच्छ देवेशं प्रणम्य रचिताञ्जलिः

Having heard what was spoken by Śakra, my father, the great sage, again questioned the lord of the gods, bowing with joined palms.

भगवन् शक्र सर्वज्ञ देवदेवनमस्कृत शचीपते जगन्नाथ सहस्राक्ष महेश्वर

O blessed Śakra, all-knowing, worshipped by the gods, lord of Śacī, master of the universe, thousand-eyed, great lord.

युगधर्मान्कथं चक्रे भगवान्पद्मसंभवः वक्तुमर्हसि मे सर्वं सांप्रतं प्रणताय मे

How did the blessed one, born from the lotus, establish the duties of the ages? You should tell me everything now, as I am bowed before you.

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा शिलादस्य महात्मनः व्याजहार यथादृष्टं युगधर्मं सुविस्तरम्

Hearing these words of the great-souled Śilāda, he spoke, describing in detail the duties of the ages as he had seen them.