Linga Purana

यश्चाभिमानी भगवान् भवात्मा पैतामहो वह्निरसुः प्रजानाम् स्वाहा च तस्मात्सुषुवे सुतानां त्रयं त्रयाणां जगतां हिताय

And the self-born Lord, the soul of Bhava, the grandsire, Agni, the life of beings, from Svaha was born three sons, for the welfare of the three worlds.

पवमानः पावकश् च शुचिरग्निश् च ते स्मृताः निर्मथ्यः पवमानस्तु वैद्युतः पावकः स्मृतः

Pavamana, Pavaka, and Shuchi—these are known as Agnis; Pavamana is produced by friction, Pavaka is called electric fire.

शुचिः सौरस्तु विज्ञेयः स्वाहापुत्रास्त्रयस्तु ते पुत्रैः पौत्रैस्त्विहैतेषां संख्या संक्षेपतः स्मृता

Shuchi is to be understood as solar; these three are the sons of Svaha. Their sons and grandsons are recounted here in brief.

विसृज्य सप्तकं चादौ चत्वारिंशन्नवैव च इत्येते वह्नयः प्रोक्ताः प्रणीयन्ते ऽध्वरेषु च

Having set aside the sevenfold, and at first the forty-nine and nine, these are the fires declared, which are conducted in the sacrifices.

सर्वे तपस्विनस्त्वेते सर्वे व्रतभृतः स्मृताः प्रजानां पतयः सर्वे सर्वे रुद्रात्मकाः स्मृताः

All these are ascetics, all are remembered as vow-holders, all are lords of beings, all are remembered as having the nature of Rudra.

अयज्वानश् च यज्वानः पितरः प्रीतिमानसाः अग्निष्वात्ताश् च यज्वानः शेषा बर्हिषदः स्मृताः

Both non-sacrificers and sacrificers are the fathers, full of delight; the sacrificers are called Agniṣvāttas, the rest are remembered as Barhiṣads.

मेनां तु मानसीं तेषां जनयामास वै स्वधा अग्निष्वात्तात्मजा मेना मानसी लोकविश्रुता

Svadhā gave birth to Menā, her mind-born daughter, from the Agniṣvātta lineage; Menā, mind-born, is renowned throughout the worlds.

असूत मेना मैनाकं क्रौञ्चं तस्यानुजामुमाम् गङ्गां हैमवतीं जज्ञे भवाङ्गाश्लेषपावनीम्

Menā bore Maināka and Krauñca, and their sister Umā; Ganga, daughter of Himavat, was born, purifying through union with Bhava.

धरणीं जनयामास मानसीं यज्ञयाजिनीम् स्वधा सा मेरुराजस्य पत्नी पद्मसमानना

She gave birth to Dharaṇī, mind-born, devoted to sacrifice; that Svadhā became the wife of King Meru, whose face resembled a lotus.

पितरो ऽमृतपाः प्रोक्तास् तेषां चैवेह विस्तरः ऋषीणां च कुलं सर्वं शृणुध्वं तत्सुविस्तरम्

The fathers are said to be drinkers of ambrosia, and their lineage here is described in detail; listen to the entire lineage of the sages, in full detail.

वदामि पृथगध्यायसंस्थितं वस्तदूर्ध्वतः दाक्षायणी सती याता पार्श्वं रुद्रस्य पार्वती

I will speak of the separate chapter established above; Dākṣāyaṇī, Satī, went to the side of Rudra, Parvati.

पश्चाद्दक्षं विनिन्द्यैषा पतिं लेभे भवं तथा तां ध्यात्वा व्यसृजद्रुद्रान् अनेकान्नीललोहितः

Afterwards, having reproached Daksha, she obtained Bhava as her husband; meditating upon her, Nīlalohita released many Rudras.

आत्मनस्तु समान्सर्वान् सर्वलोकनमस्कृतान् याचितो मुनिशार्दूला ब्रह्मणा प्रहसन् क्षणात्

From himself, he created all, equal and honored by all worlds; requested by Brahma, the tiger among sages, he laughed and did so instantly.

तैस्तु संछादितं सर्वं चतुर्दशविधं जगत् तान्दृष्ट्वा विविधान् रुद्रान् निर्मलान्नीललोहितान्

By them, the entire fourteenfold world was covered; seeing those various Rudras, pure and blue-red in hue,

जरामरणनिर्मुक्तान् प्राह रुद्रान्पितामहः नमो ऽस्तु वो महादेवास् त्रिनेत्रा नीललोहिताः

Freed from old age and death, Pitamaha addressed the Rudras: 'Salutations to you, O great gods, three-eyed, blue-red ones.'

सर्वज्ञाः सर्वगा दीर्घा ह्रस्वा वामनकाः शुभाः हिरण्यकेशा दृष्टिघ्ना नित्या बुद्धाश् च निर्मलाः

All-knowing, all-pervading, tall, short, dwarfish, auspicious, golden-haired, destroyers of sight, eternal, wise, and pure.

निर्द्वंद्वा वीतरागाश् च विश्वात्मानो भवात्मजाः एवं स्तुत्वा तदा रुद्रान् रुद्रं चाह भवं शिवम् प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य तदा भगवान्कनकाण्डजः

Free from duality, devoid of passion, universal selves, sons of Bhava; thus praising the Rudras, Rudra addressed Bhava, Shiva, having circumambulated him, then the blessed one born of gold spoke.

नमो ऽस्तु ते महादेव प्रजा नार्हसि शंकर मृत्युहीना विभो स्रष्टुं मृत्युयुक्ताः सृज प्रभो

Salutations to you, O great god; you should not create beings, O Shankara, who are free from death; O lord, create those joined with death.

ततस्तमाह भगवान् न हि मे तादृशी स्थितिः स त्वं सृज यथाकामं मृत्युयुक्ताः प्रजाः प्रभो

Then the blessed one said to him: 'Such is not my state; you, O lord, create beings joined with death as you wish.'

लब्ध्वा ससर्ज सकलं शंकराच्चतुराननः जरामरणसंयुक्तं जगदेतच्चराचरम्

Having obtained permission, the four-faced one created everything from Shankara; this moving and unmoving world, joined with old age and death.

शंकरो ऽपि तदा रुद्रैर् निवृत्तात्मा ह्यधिष्ठितः स्थाणुत्वं तस्य वै विप्राः शंकरस्य महात्मनः

Then Shankara, established in withdrawal by the Rudras, assumed the state of Sthāṇu; this, O sages, is the greatness of Shankara.

निष्कलस्यात्मनः शम्भोः स्वेच्छाधृतशरीरिणः शं रुद्रः सर्वभूतानां करोति घृणया यतः

Rudra, the compassionate, acts for the welfare of all beings, being the embodiment of Śambhu, who is without attributes and whose body is sustained by his own will.

शंकरश्चाप्रयत्नेन तदात्मा योगविद्यया वैराग्यस्थं विरक्तस्य विमुक्तिर्यच्छमुच्यते

Śaṃkara, effortlessly, through mastery of yoga, grants liberation to those established in detachment, and this liberation is called 'śam'.

अणोस्तु विषयत्यागः संसारभयतः क्रमात् वैराग्याज्जायते पुंसो विरागो दर्शनान्तरे

Renunciation of objects, arising gradually from fear of worldly existence, produces detachment in a person; this detachment is recognized in other teachings.

विमुख्यो विगुणत्यागो विज्ञानस्याविचारतः तस्य चास्य च संधानं प्रसादात्परमेष्ठिनः

Turning away from faults and giving up qualities, without inquiry, comes from knowledge; the union of this and that is attained by the grace of the Supreme Lord.

धर्मो ज्ञानं च वैराग्यम् ऐश्वर्यं शंकरादिह स एव शंकरः साक्षात् पिनाकी नीललोहितः

Dharma, knowledge, detachment, and lordliness—all these here are Śaṃkara; he is directly Pinākī, the blue and red one.

ये शंकराश्रिताः सर्वे मुच्यन्ते ते न संशयः न गच्छन्त्येव नरकं पापिष्ठा अपि दारुणम्

All those who take refuge in Śaṃkara are liberated, without doubt; even the most sinful do not go to hell, however dreadful.

आश्रिताः शंकरं तस्मात् प्राप्नुवन्ति च शाश्वतम् मायान्ताश्चैव घोराद्या ह्य् अष्टविंशतिरेव च

Therefore, those who take refuge in Śaṃkara attain the eternal; and the twenty-eight fierce forms of Māyā come to their end.

कोटयो नरकाणां तु पच्यन्ते तासु पापिनः अनाश्रिताः शिवं रुद्रं शंकरं नीललोहितम्

Millions of hells exist where sinners are tormented; those who do not take refuge in Śiva, Rudra, Śaṃkara, the blue and red one.