Linga Purana

क्रीडते सगणः साम्बस् तच्छिवालयम् उच्यते एवं शतसहस्राणि शर्वस्यायतनानि तु

He sports with his attendants and Ambā; that is called the abode of Śiva. Thus, there are hundreds of thousands of sanctuaries of Śarva.

प्रतिद्वीपे मुनिश्रेष्ठाः पर्वतेषु वनेषु च नदीनदतटाकानां तीरेष्वर्णवसंधिषु

On each island, O best of sages, on mountains and in forests, on the banks of rivers, lakes, and at the junctions of waters.

नद्यश् च बहवः प्रोक्ताः सदा बहुजलाः शुभाः सरोवरेभ्यः सम्भूतास् त्व् असंख्याता द्विजोत्तमाः

Many rivers are described, always abundant in water and auspicious, arising from lakes, countless, O best of twice-born.

प्राङ्मुखा दक्षिणास्यास्तु चोत्तरप्रभवाः शुभाः पश्चिमाग्राः पवित्राश् च प्रतिवर्षं प्रकीर्तिताः

Facing east, with southern mouths, and originating in the north, auspicious, with western sources, pure, and mentioned each year.

आकाशांभोनिधिर् यो ऽसौ सोम इत्यभिधीयते आधारः सर्वभूतानां देवानाममृताकरः

That ocean of the sky, called Soma, is the foundation of all beings, the source of immortality for the gods.

अस्मात्प्रवृत्ता पुण्योदा नदी त्वाकाशगामिनी सप्तमेनानिलपथा प्रवृत्ता चामृतोदका

From it flows the holy river, whose waters are pure, moving through the sky, and the seventh, proceeding by the path of wind, with waters of immortality.

सा ज्योतींष्यनुवर्तन्ती ज्योतिर्गणनिषेविता ताराकोटिसहस्राणां नभसश् च समायुता

It follows the lights, served by hosts of luminous beings, joined with millions of stars in the sky.

परिवर्तत्यहरहो यथा सोमस्तथैव सा चत्वार्यशीतिश् च तथा सहस्राणां समुच्छ्रितः

Just as the moon revolves day after day, so too does she, rising up to eighty-four thousand.

योजनानां महामेरुः श्रीकण्ठाक्रीडकोमलः तत्रासीनो यतः शर्वः साम्बः सह गणेश्वरैः

The great Meru, delightful as the playground of Śrīkaṇṭha, stretches for that many yojanas; there, Śarva sits together with Ambā and the lords of the Gaṇas.

क्रीडते सुचिरं कालं तस्मात्पुण्यजला शिवा गिरिं मेरुं नदी पुण्या सा प्रयाति प्रदक्षिणम्

There, for a very long time, he sports; from there, the auspicious river, holy and pure, circles Mount Meru in a clockwise direction.

विभज्यमानसलिला सा जवेनानिलेन च मेरोरन्तरकूटेषु निपपात चतुर्ष्वपि

Her waters, divided and driven swiftly by the wind, fell into the four inner peaks of Meru.

समन्तात्समतिक्रम्य सर्वाद्रीन्प्रविभागशः नियोगाद्देवदेवस्य प्रविष्टा सा महार्णवम्

Surpassing all the mountains on every side, and by the command of the god of gods, she entered the great ocean, branching out in all directions.

अस्या विनिर्गता नद्यः शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः सर्वद्वीपाद्रिवर्षेषु बहवः परिकीर्तिताः

From her, hundreds and thousands of rivers arise, and many are renowned throughout all the islands, mountains, and regions.

क्षुद्रनद्यस्त्वसंख्याता गङ्गा यद्गाङ्गताम्बरात् केतुमाले नराः कालाः सर्वे पनसभोजनाः

Countless small rivers flow, and in Ketumāla, all people are dark, clothed in garments of the Ganges, and eat jackfruit.

स्त्रियश्चोत्पलवर्णाभा जीवितं चायुतं स्मृतम् भद्राश्वे शुक्लवर्णाश् च स्त्रियश्चन्द्रांशुसंनिभाः

The women there are lotus-hued, and their lifespan is said to be ten thousand years; in Bhadrāśva, the women are white as the moon's rays.

कालाम्रभोजनाः सर्वे निरातङ्का रतिप्रियाः दशवर्षसहस्राणि जीवन्ति शिवभाविताः

All eat black mangoes, are free from trouble, delight in love, and, devoted to Śiva, live for ten thousand years.

हिरण्मया इवात्यर्थम् ईश्वरार्पितचेतसः तथा रमणके जीवा न्यग्रोधफलभोजनाः

Their minds are wholly dedicated to the Lord, and they shine like gold; likewise, in Ramaṇaka, the people live on banyan fruit.

दशवर्षसहस्राणि शतानि दशपञ्च च जीवन्ति शुक्लास्ते सर्वे शिवध्यानपरायणाः

All those pure ones, devoted to meditation on Śiva, live for one hundred and fifty thousand years.

हैरण्मया महाभागा हिरण्मयवनाश्रयाः एकादश सहस्राणि शतानि दशपञ्च च

They are golden, greatly fortunate, dwelling in golden forests, and their number is eleven thousand and one hundred and fifty.

वर्षाणां तत्र जीवन्ति अश्वत्थाशनजीवनाः हैरण्मया इवात्यर्थम् ईश्वरार्पितमानसाः

There, they live for that many years, subsisting on peepal fruit, shining like gold, their minds wholly offered to the Lord.

कुरुवर्षे तु कुरवः स्वर्गलोकात् परिच्युताः सर्वे मैथुनजाताश् च क्षीरिणः क्षीरभोजनाः

In the land of the Kurus, the Kurus, fallen from heaven, are all born from union, drink milk, and live on milk.

अन्योन्यमनुरक्ताश् च चक्रवाकसधर्मिणः अनामया ह्यशोकाश् च नित्यं सुखनिषेविणः

They are mutually devoted, like chakravāka birds, free from disease and sorrow, always enjoying happiness.

त्रयोदशसहस्राणि शतानि दशपञ्च च जीवन्ति ते महावीर्या न चान्यस्त्रीनिषेविणः

Those of great strength live for thirteen thousand and one hundred and fifty years, and do not consort with women other than their own.

सहैव मरणं तेषां कुरूणां स्वर्गवासिनाम् हृष्टानां सुप्रवृद्धानां सर्वान्नामृतभोजिनाम्

For those Kurus, dwellers in heaven, death comes together; they are joyful, greatly prosperous, and partake of all kinds of ambrosial food.

सदा तु चन्द्रकान्तानां सदा यौवनशालिनाम् श्यामाङ्गानां सदा सर्वभूषणास्पददेहिनाम्

They always possess moonstone, are ever youthful, dark-limbed, and their bodies are always adorned with every ornament.

जंबूद्वीपे तु तत्रापि कुरुवर्षं सुशोभनम् तत्र चन्द्रप्रभं शम्भोर् विमानं चन्द्रमौलिनः

On Jambudvīpa, there too is the splendid region of Kuru, where stands the celestial palace of Śambhu, the moon-crested one, shining like the moon.

वर्षे तु भारते मर्त्याः पुण्याः कर्मवशायुषः शतायुषः समाख्याता नानावर्णाल्पदेहिनः

In the land of Bhārata, mortals live according to the results of their deeds; they are said to have long lives, of various colors and with limited bodies.

नानादेवार्चने युक्ता नानाकर्मफलाशिनः नानाज्ञानार्थसम्पन्ना दुर्बलाश्चाल्पभोगिनः

Engaged in worship of various gods, enjoying the fruits of diverse actions, possessing different kinds of knowledge and wealth, they are weak and have little enjoyment.

इन्द्रद्वीपे तथा केचित् तथैव च कसेरुके ताम्रद्वीपं गताः केचित् केचिद्देशं गभस्तिमत्

Some dwell on Indradvīpa, others likewise on Kaseru; some have gone to Tāmradvīpa, and some to the region called Gabhastimat.