Linga Purana

हुत्वा त्रियंबकेनैव मधुनैव च संप्लुताम् दूर्वामयुतसंख्यातां सर्वद्रव्यसमन्विताम्

They offered oblations to Triyambaka, with honey poured over, numbering as many as blades of sacred grass, and with all kinds of materials.

पिता विगतसंज्ञश् च तथा चैव पितामहः विचेष्टश् च ललापासौ मृतवन्निपपात च

My father lost consciousness, and likewise my grandfather; he writhed and lamented, and fell down as if dead.

मृत्योर् भीतो ऽहम् अचिराच् छिरसा चाभिवन्द्य तम् मृतवत्पतितं साक्षात् पितरं च पितामहम्

Fearing death, I soon bowed my head to them—my father and grandfather—who had fallen as if dead before my eyes.

प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य च तं रुद्रजाप्यरतो ऽभवम् हृत्पुण्डरीके सुषिरे ध्यात्वा देवं त्रियंबकम्

Circumambulating them, I became intent on reciting Rudra hymns, meditating on the god Triyambaka in the lotus of my heart, in the subtle space within.

त्र्यक्षं दशभुजं शान्तं पञ्चवक्त्रं सदाशिवम् सरितश्चान्तरे पुण्ये स्थितं मां परमेश्वरः

I saw the supreme Lord, three-eyed, ten-armed, peaceful, five-faced, ever-auspicious, standing in the sacred waters before me.

तुष्टो ऽब्रवीन्महादेवः सोमः सोमार्धभूषणः वत्स नन्दिन्महाबाहो मृत्योर्भीतिः कुतस्तव

Pleased, Mahadeva, adorned with the crescent moon, said: 'Child Nandin, mighty-armed one, how can you have fear of death?'

मयैव प्रेषितौ विप्रौ मत्समस्त्वं न संशयः वत्सैनत्तव देहं च लौकिकं परमार्थतः

It is I who sent those two Brahmins; you are like me, without doubt. Child, your body is worldly in truth.

नास्त्येव दैविकं दृष्टं शिलादेन पुरा तव देवैश् च मुनिभिः सिद्धैर् गन्धर्वैर्दानवोत्तमैः

There is no divine body seen before, neither by you nor by gods, sages, siddhas, gandharvas, or the foremost of demons.

पूजितं यत्पुरा वत्स दैविकं नन्दिकेश्वर संसारस्य स्वभावो ऽयं सुखं दुःखं पुनः पुनः

What was worshipped before, child, as divine, O Nandikesvara, is the nature of worldly existence—happiness and sorrow again and again.

नृणां योनिपरित्यागः सर्वथैव विवेकिनः एवमुक्त्वा तु मां साक्षात् सर्वदेवमहेश्वरः

The abandonment of birth by humans is always for the wise. Having spoken thus to me directly, the great lord of all gods,

कराभ्यां सुशुभाभ्यां च उभाभ्यां परमेश्वरः पस्पर्श भगवान् रुद्रः परमार्तिहरो हरः

With both beautiful hands, the supreme lord, Bhagavan Rudra, the remover of supreme distress, touched me.

उवाच च महादेवस् तुष्टात्मा वृषभध्वजः निरीक्ष्य गणपांश्चैव देवीं हिमवतः सुताम्

Mahadeva, whose heart was pleased and who bears the bull as his emblem, spoke, gazing at the Ganas and at the goddess, daughter of Himavat.

समालोक्य च तुष्टात्मा महादेवः सुरेश्वरः अजरो जरया त्यक्तो नित्यं दुःखविवर्जितः

Beholding them, Mahadeva, lord of the gods, with a pleased heart, said: 'You are ageless, freed from old age, always devoid of suffering.'

अक्षयश्चाव्ययश्चैव सपिता ससुहृज्जनः ममेष्टो गणपश्चैव मद्वीर्यो मत्पराक्रमः

You are imperishable and undecaying, with father and friends; my beloved Gana, endowed with my strength and valor.

इष्टो मम सदा चैव मम पार्श्वगतः सदा मद्बलश्चैव भविता महायोगबलान्वितः

You are always dear to me, always at my side; you will possess my strength, endowed with the power of great yoga.

एवमुक्त्वा च मां देवो भगवान् सगणस्तदा कुशेशयमयीं मालां समुन्मुच्यात्मनस्तदा

Having spoken thus to me, the god Bhagavan, along with the Ganas, then untied from himself a garland made of kusa grass.

आबबन्ध महातेजा मम देवो वृषध्वजः तयाहं मालया जातः शुभया कण्ठसक्तया

The mighty deity, Vrishadhvaja, bound me with that garland; with that auspicious garland fastened around my neck, I was transformed.

त्र्यक्षो दशभुजश्चैव द्वितीय इव शङ्करः तत एव समादाय हस्तेन परमेश्वरः

Three-eyed, ten-armed, like a second Shankara, from that very garland, the supreme lord took up with his hand.

उवाच ब्रूहि किं ते ऽद्य ददामि वरमुत्तमम् ततो जटाश्रितं वारि गृहीत्वा चातिनिर्मलम्

He said: 'Speak, what do you desire today? I will grant you the highest boon.' Then, taking water from his matted hair, exceedingly pure,

उक्ता नदी भवस्वेति उत्ससर्ज वृषध्वजः ततः सा दिव्यतोया च पूर्णासितजला शुभा

He declared, 'Let this become a river,' and Vrishadhvaja released it. Then that divine water, full and dark, auspicious,

पद्मोत्पलवनोपेता प्रावर्तत महानदी तामाह च महादेवो नदीं परमशोभनाम्

Adorned with lotuses and lilies, the great river began to flow. Mahadeva spoke to that river, supremely beautiful,

यस्माज्जटोदकादेव प्रवृत्ता त्वं महानदी तस्माज्जटोदका पुण्या भविष्यसि सरिद्वरा

Because you have arisen from the water of the matted locks, you are a great river; therefore, you will be called Jatodaka, the sacred and foremost stream.

त्वयि स्नात्वा नरः कश्चित् सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते ततो देव्या महादेवः शिलादतनयं प्रभुः

Whoever bathes in you will be freed from all sins. Then Mahadeva, lord, addressed the son of Shilada through the goddess.

पुत्रस्ते ऽयमिति प्रोच्य पादयोः संन्यपातयत् सा मामाघ्राय शिरसि पाणिभ्यां परिमार्जती

Saying, 'This is your son,' she placed me at her feet, embraced me, smelled my head, and gently stroked me with her hands.

पुत्रप्रेम्णाभ्यषिञ्चच्च स्रोतोभिस्तनयैस्त्रिभिः पयसा शङ्खगौरेण देवदेवं निरीक्ष्य सा

Out of motherly love, she bathed me with three streams of milk flowing from her breasts, gazing at the Lord of gods, pure as a conch.

तानि स्रोतांसि त्रीण्यस्याः स्रोतस्विन्यो ऽभवंस्तदा नदीं त्रिस्रोतसं देवो भगवानवदद्भवः

Those three streams from her became three rivers, and then the blessed Lord declared, 'Let this be the river of three streams.'

त्रिस्रोतसं नदीं दृष्ट्वा वृषः परमहर्षितः ननाद नादात्तस्माच्च सरिदन्या ततो ऽभवत्

Seeing the river of three streams, the bull, overjoyed, bellowed loudly, and from that sound another river arose.

वृषध्वनिरिति ख्याता देवदेवेन सा नदी जांबूनदमयं चित्रं सर्वरत्नमयं शुभम्

That river became known as Vṛṣadhvani, famed by the Lord of gods, made of golden jambū wood, wondrous, adorned with all gems, and auspicious.

स्वं देवश्चाद्भुतं दिव्यं निर्मितं विश्वकर्मणा मुकुटं चाबबन्धेशो मम मूर्ध्नि वृषध्वजः

Then the Lord, Vṛṣadhvaja, tied on my head a marvelous, divine crown crafted by Viśvakarman himself.