Linga Purana

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?

देवानां च ऋषीणां च पितॄणां संनिधौ पुरा शैलादिना तु कथितं शृण्वन्तु ब्रह्मसूनवे

In the presence of the gods, sages, and ancestors, the story was formerly told by Śailādi; let them listen to the son of Brahma.

व्यासावताराणि तथा द्वापरान्ते च सुव्रताः योगाचार्यावताराणि तथा तिष्ये तु शूलिनः

The incarnations of Vyāsa, likewise, at the end of the Dvāpara age, O virtuous ones, and the incarnations of yoga teachers, as well as those of the trident-bearer in the Tiṣya age.

तत्रतत्र विभोः शिष्याश् चत्वारः शमभाजनाः प्रशिष्या बहवस्तेषां प्रसीदत्येवमीश्वरः

In each place, the Lord's disciples are four, vessels of tranquility; among them are many sub-disciples, and thus the Lord is pleased.

एवं क्रमागतं ज्ञानं मुखादेव नृणां विभोः वैश्यान्तं ब्राह्मणाद्यं हि घृणया चानुरूपतः

Thus, knowledge comes in succession from the mouth of the Lord to men, beginning with Brahmins and ending with Vaiśyas, each according to their nature and compassion.

द्वापरे द्वापरे व्यासाः के वै कुत्रान्तरेषु वै कल्पेषु कस्मिन्कल्पे नो वक्तुमर्हसि चात्र तान्

In each Dvāpara age, who were the Vyāsas, and where, in which cycles, in which kalpa, you ought to tell them here.

शृण्वन्तु कल्पे वाराहे द्विजा वैवस्वतान्तरे व्यासांश् च साम्प्रतं रुद्रांस् तथा सर्वान्तरेषु वै

Let them listen: in the Varāha kalpa, O twice-born, in the Vaivasvata cycle, the Vyāsas and the Rudras at present, as well as in all cycles.

वेदानां च पुराणानां तथा ज्ञानप्रदर्शकान् यथाक्रमं प्रवक्ष्यामि सर्वावर्तेषु साम्प्रतम्

I will declare, in proper order, those who revealed the Vedas, the Purāṇas, and the knowledge, in all cycles at present.

क्रतुः सत्यो भार्गवश् च अङ्गिराः सविता द्विजाः मृत्युः शतक्रतुर्धीमान् वसिष्ठो मुनिपुंगवः

Kratu, Satya, Bhārgava, Aṅgirā, Savitṛ, O twice-born, Mṛtyu, Śatakratu the wise, and Vasiṣṭha, foremost among sages.

सारस्वतस्त्रिधामा च त्रिवृतो मुनिपुंगवः शततेजाः स्वयंधर्मो नारायण इति श्रुतः

Sārasvata, Tridhāmā, Trivṛt, foremost among sages, Śatatejā, Svayaṃdharman, and Nārāyaṇa, as heard.

तरक्षुश्चारुणिर्धीमांस् तथा देवः कृतंजयः ऋतंजयो भरद्वाजो गौतमः कविसत्तमः

Tarakṣu, Āruṇi the wise, Deva, Kṛtaṃjaya, Ṛtaṃjaya, Bharadvāja, Gautama, best among poets.