Linga Purana

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.

आश्रयं सर्वभूतानाम् अव्ययं जगतां पतिम् पुरुषं परमात्मानं पुरुहूतं पुरुष्टुतम्

He is the refuge of all beings, the imperishable, the lord of the worlds, the supreme soul, Puruhūta, praised by men.

तमसा कालरुद्राख्यं रजसा कनकाण्डजम् सत्त्वेन सर्वगं विष्णुं निर्गुणत्वे महेश्वरम्

By darkness, he is called Kālarudra; by passion, born of gold; by goodness, he is all-pervading Viṣṇu; in transcendence, he is Maheśvara.

केन गच्छन्ति नरकं नराः केन महामते कर्मणाकर्मणा वापि श्रोतुं कौतूहलं हि नः

By what do men go to hell, O wise one? By action or inaction? We wish to hear, for we are curious.

रहस्यं वः प्रवक्ष्यामि भवस्यामिततेजसः प्रभावं शंकरस्याद्यं संक्षेपात्सर्वदर्शिनः

I will declare to you the secret, the power of Bhava of immeasurable brilliance, the origin of Śaṃkara, in brief, as seen by all.

योगिनः सर्वतत्त्वज्ञाः परं वैराग्यमास्थिताः

Yogis, knowing all principles, are established in supreme detachment.

प्राणायामादिभिश्चाष्टसाधनैः सहचारिणः

Accompanied by the eight practices, such as breath control and others.

करुणादिगुणोपेताः कृत्वापि विविधानि ते कर्माणि नरकं स्वर्गं गच्छन्त्येव स्वकर्मणा

Endowed with qualities like compassion, even after performing various actions, they go to hell or heaven according to their own deeds.

प्रसादाज्जायते ज्ञानं ज्ञानाद्योगः प्रवर्तते योगेन जायते मुक्तिः प्रसादादखिलं ततः

From grace arises knowledge; from knowledge, yoga is set in motion; through yoga, liberation is attained; from grace, all this follows.

प्रसादाद् यदि विज्ञानं स्वरूपं वक्तुमर्हसि दिव्यं माहेश्वरं चैव योगं योगविदां वर

If, by grace, you are able to speak of the true nature, the divine and Maheśvara yoga, O best of those who know yoga.

कथं करोति भगवान् चिन्तया रहितः शिवः प्रसादं योगमार्गेण कस्मिन्काले नृणां विभुः

How does the Lord, Śiva, free from thought, grant grace by the path of yoga, and at what time to men, O mighty one?