Linga Purana

प्रजापतेश् च रुद्रस्य भावामृतसुखोत्कटाः

And the people of Prajāpati and Rudra are filled with the bliss of devotion.

आग्नीध्रं ज्येष्ठदायादं काम्यपुत्रं महाबलम् प्रियव्रतो ऽभ्यषिञ्चद्वै जंबूद्वीपेश्वरं नृपः

Āgnīdhra, the eldest and mighty son of Kāmyā, was anointed by Priyavrata as the lord of Jambūdvīpa.

सो ऽतीव भवभक्तश् च तपस्वी तरुणः सदा भवार्चनरतः श्रीमान् गोमान्धीमान्द्विजर्षभाः

He was exceedingly devoted to Bhava, ever youthful, steadfast in austerity, always engaged in the worship of Bhava, glorious, and accompanied by Gomān, Dhīmān, and the best of twice-born.

तस्य पुत्रा बभूवुस्ते प्रजापतिसमा नव सर्वे माहेश्वराश्चैव महादेवपरायणाः

He had nine sons, equal to Prajāpati, all devoted to Maheśvara and dedicated to Mahādeva.

ज्येष्ठो नाभिर् इति ख्यातस् तस्य किंपुरुषो ऽनुजः हरिवर्षस्तृतीयस्तु चतुर्थो वै त्विलावृतः

The eldest was known as Nābhi; his younger brother was Kiṃpuruṣa; the third was Harivarṣa, and the fourth was Ilāvṛta.

रम्यस्तु पञ्चमस् तत्र हिरण्मान् षष्ठ उच्यते कुरुस्तु सप्तमस्तेषां भद्राश्वस्त्वष्टमः स्मृतः

The fifth was Ramya, the sixth is called Hiraṇmān, the seventh was Kuru, the eighth was Bhadrāśva.

नवमः केतुमालस्तु तेषां देशान्निबोधत नाभेस्तु दक्षिणं वर्षं हेमाख्यं तु पिता ददौ

The ninth was Ketumāla; now hear of their regions. To Nābhi, the southern region called Hema was given by their father.

हेमकूटं तु यद्वर्षं ददौ किंपुरुषाय सः नैषधं यत्स्मृतं वर्षं हरये तत्पिता ददौ

He gave the region called Hemakūṭa to Kiṃpuruṣa, and the region known as Naiṣadha was given by his father to Hari.

इलावृताय प्रददौ मेरुर्यत्र तु मध्यमः नीलाचलाश्रितं वर्षं रम्याय प्रददौ पिता

He gave Ilāvṛta, where Meru stands in the center, and the delightful region at the base of Nīlācalā to his son.

श्वेतं यदुत्तरं तस्मात् पित्रा दत्तं हिरण्मते यदुत्तरं शृङ्गवर्षं पिता तत्कुरवे ददौ

The northern region called Śveta was given by the father to Hiraṇmaya, and the northern Śṛṅgavarṣa was given by the father to Kuru.

वर्षं माल्यवतं चापि भद्राश्वस्य न्यवेदयत् गन्धमादनवर्षं तु केतुमालाय दत्तवान्

He assigned the region of Mālyavat to Bhadrāśva, and Gandhamādana to Ketumālā.

इत्येतानि महान्तीह नव वर्षाणि भागशः आग्नीध्रस्तेषु वर्षेषु पुत्रांस्तानभिषिच्य वै

Thus, these nine great regions were divided; in each of these regions, Āgnīdhra installed his sons as rulers.

यथाक्रमं स धर्मात्मा ततस्तु तपसि स्थितः तपसा भावितश्चैव स्वाध्यायनिरतस्त्वभूत्

That righteous one, following the proper order, then remained engaged in austerity, purified by penance and devoted to self-study.

स्वाध्यायनिरतः पश्चाच् छिवध्यानरतस् त्वभूत् यानि किंपुरुषाद्यानि वर्षाण्यष्टौ शुभानि च

After being devoted to self-study, he became absorbed in meditation on Śiva; these eight auspicious regions, beginning with Kiṃpuruṣa, are described.

तेषां स्वभावतः सिद्धिः सुखप्राया ह्ययत्नतः विपर्ययो न तेष्वस्ति जरामृत्युभयं न च

By their very nature, the inhabitants there attain perfection easily and without effort; they do not experience the opposites, nor do they have old age or death.

धर्माधर्मौ न तेष्वास्तां नोत्तमाधममध्यमाः न तेष्वस्ति युगावस्था क्षेत्रेष्वष्टसु सर्वतः

There is neither righteousness nor unrighteousness among them, nor superior, inferior, or middling; in all those eight regions, there is no division of ages.

रुद्रक्षेत्रे मृताश्चैव जङ्गमाः स्थावरास् तथा भक्ताः प्रासंगिकाश्चापि तेषु क्षेत्रेषु यान्ति ते

In the Rudra-kshetras, both moving and unmoving beings who die, as well as devoted and incidental followers, go to those regions.

तेषां हिताय रुद्रेण चाष्टक्षेत्रं विनिर्मितम् तत्र तेषां महादेवः सान्निध्यं कुरुते सदा

For their welfare, Rudra created these eight regions; there, the great god always manifests his presence for them.

दृष्ट्वा हृदि महादेवम् अष्टक्षेत्रनिवासिनः सुखिनः सर्वदा तेषां स एवेह परा गतिः

Seeing the great god in their hearts, the inhabitants of the eight regions always remain happy; for them, he alone is the supreme goal here.

नाभेर्निसर्गं वक्ष्यामि हिमाङ्के ऽस्मिन्निबोधत नाभिस्त्वजनयत्पुत्रं मेरुदेव्यां महामतिः

Now I will speak of the origin of Nābhi; listen as I explain. Nābhi, of great wisdom, begot a son by Merudevī.

ऋषभं पार्थिवश्रेष्ठं सर्वक्षत्रस्य पूजितम् ऋषभाद्भरतो जज्ञे वीरः पुत्रशताग्रजः

He was Ṛṣabha, the foremost of kings, honored by all the Kṣatriyas. From Ṛṣabha was born Bharata, the heroic eldest among a hundred sons.

सो ऽभिषिच्याथ ऋषभो भरतं पुत्रवत्सलः ज्ञानवैराग्यमाश्रित्य जित्वेन्द्रियमहोरगान्

Ṛṣabha, affectionate to his son, installed Bharata as king, relying on knowledge and detachment, having conquered the great serpents of the senses.

सर्वात्मनात्मनि स्थाप्य परमात्मानमीश्वरम् नग्नो जटी निराहारश् चीरी ध्वान्तगतो हि सः

Having established the Supreme Self, the Lord, in his own self by complete absorption, he became naked, matted-haired, without food, clad in bark, and entered darkness.

निराशस्त्यक्तसंदेहः शैवमाप परं पदम् हिमाद्रेर्दक्षिणं वर्षं भरताय न्यवेदयत्

Free from desire and doubt, he attained the supreme Śaiva state; he assigned the southern region of Himālaya to Bharata.

तस्मात्तु भारतं वर्षं तस्य नाम्ना विदुर्बुधाः भरतस्यात्मजो विद्वान् सुमतिर्नाम धार्मिकः

Therefore, the wise know that region as Bhārata after his name; Bharata's son was the learned and righteous Sumati.

बभूव तस्मिंस्तद्राज्यं भरतः संन्यवेशयत् पुत्रसंक्रामितश्रीको वनं राजा विवेश सः

Thereupon, in that realm, Bharata installed his son as king, relinquishing his own glory to him, and the king entered the forest.

अस्य द्वीपस्य मध्ये तु मेरुर् नाम महागिरिः नानारत्नमयैः शृङ्गैः स्थितः स्थितिमतां वरः

In the middle of this continent stands the great mountain called Meru, adorned with peaks made of various precious gems, the foremost among the steadfast.

चतुरशीतिसाहस्रम् उत्सेधेन प्रकीर्तितः प्रविष्टः षोडशाधस्ताद् विस्तृतः षोडशैव तु

It is said to rise eighty-four thousand units in height, and extends sixteen thousand below and likewise sixteen thousand across.

शराववत् संस्थितत्वाद् द्वात्रिंशन्मूर्ध्नि विस्तृतः विस्तारात् त्रिगुणश् चास्य परिणाहो ऽनुमण्डलः

Shaped like an upturned bowl, it spreads thirty-two thousand at the summit, and its circumference is estimated to be three times its breadth.