Linga Purana

भूरिश्रवाः प्रभुः शंभुः कृष्णो गौरस्तु पञ्चमः कन्या कीर्तिमती चैव योगमाता धृतव्रता

Bhūriśravā, the lord Śambhu, Kṛṣṇa, and Gauras are the fifth; the daughter was Kīrtimatī, steadfast in her vows and mother of Yoga.

जननी ब्रह्मदत्तस्य पत्नी सा त्वनुहस्य च श्वेतः कृष्णश् च गौरश् च श्यामो धूम्रस्तथारुणः

She, the wife of Brahmadatta and also of Anuha, gave birth to Śveta, Kṛṣṇa, Gaura, Śyāma, Dhūmra, and Aruṇa.

नीलो बादरिकश्चैव सर्वे चैते पराशराः पराशराणामष्टौ ते पक्षाः प्रोक्ता महात्मनाम्

Nīla and Bādarika as well; all these are Parāśaras. These eight are the branches of the great-souled Parāśaras.

अत ऊर्ध्वं निबोधध्वम् इन्द्रप्रमितिसंभवम् वसिष्ठस्य कपिञ्जल्यो घृताच्यामुदपद्यत

Now, listen further to the lineage originating from Indrapramiti: Vasiṣṭha's son Kapiñjala was born from Ghṛtācī.

त्रिमूर्तिर्यः समाख्यात इन्द्रप्रमितिरुच्यते पृथोः सुतायां सम्भूतो भद्रस्तस्या भवद्वसुः

He who is called Trimūrti is known as Indrapramiti, born from Pṛthu's daughter; from her, Bhadra was born, and from Bhadra, Vasu.

उपमन्युः सुतस्तस्य बहवो ह्यौपमन्यवः मित्रावरुणयोश्चैव कौण्डिन्या ये परिश्रुताः

Upamanyu was his son, and there are many descendants of Upamanyu. The well-known Kauṇḍinyas are of Mitra and Varuṇa.

एकार्षेयास् तथा चान्ये वासिष्ठा नाम विश्रुताः एते पक्षा वसिष्ठानां स्मृता दश महात्मनाम्

There are also others called Ekārṣeyas and the renowned Vāsiṣṭhas. These ten are remembered as the branches of the great-souled Vasiṣṭhas.

इत्येते ब्रह्मणः पुत्रा मानसा विश्रुता भुवि भर्तारश् च महाभागा एषां वंशाः प्रकीर्तिताः

Thus, these are the mind-born sons of Brahmā, renowned on earth, and their noble lineages have been recounted.

त्रिलोकधारणे शक्ता देवर्षिकुलसंभवाः तेषां पुत्राश् च पौत्राश् च शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः

Born in the families of divine sages, they are capable of upholding the three worlds; their sons and grandsons number in the hundreds and thousands.

यैस्तु व्याप्तास्त्रयो लोकाः सूर्यस्येव गभस्तिभिः

By them, the three worlds have been pervaded, just as the sun pervades with its rays.

कथं हि रक्षसा शक्तिर् भक्षितः सो ऽनुजैः सह वासिष्ठो वदतां श्रेष्ठ सूत वक्तुमिहार्हसि

How was Śakti, along with his brothers, devoured by the Rākṣasa? O best of speakers, Sūta, you ought to tell this here.

राक्षसो रुधिरो नाम वसिष्ठस्य सुतं पुरा शक्तिं स भक्षयामास शक्तेः शापात्सहानुजैः

A Rākṣasa named Rudhira once devoured Vasiṣṭha's son Śakti, along with his brothers, due to Śakti's curse.

वसिष्ठयाज्यं विप्रेन्द्रास् तदादिश्यैव भूपतिम् कल्माषपादं रुधिरो विश्वामित्रेण चोदितः

Prompted by Viśvāmitra, Rudhira, having received the king Kalmāṣapāda's command, consumed the offering of Vasiṣṭha.

भक्षितः स इति श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठस्तेन रक्षसा शक्तिः शक्तिमतां श्रेष्ठो भ्रातृभिः सह धर्मवित्

Hearing that Śakti, the best among the powerful and knower of dharma, had been devoured by that Rākṣasa along with his brothers, Vasiṣṭha was overcome.

हा पुत्र पुत्र पुत्रेति क्रन्दमानो मुहुर्मुहुः अरुन्धत्या सह मुनिः पपात भुवि दुःखितः

Crying out again and again, 'O son, O son, O son,' the sage, together with Arundhatī, fell to the ground in grief.

नष्टं कुलमिति श्रुत्वा मर्तुं चक्रे मतिं तदा स्मरन्पुत्रशतं चैव शक्तिज्येष्ठं च शक्तिमान्

Hearing that his lineage was lost, he resolved to die, remembering his hundred sons and Śakti, the eldest and most powerful.

न तं विनाहं जीविष्ये इति निश्चित्य दुःखितः

Grieving, he decided, 'I will not live without him.'

आरुह्य मूर्धानम् अजात्मजो ऽसौ तयात्मवान् सर्वविद् आत्मविच्च धराधरस्यैव तदा धरायां पपात पत्न्या सह साश्रुदृष्टिः

Climbing to the summit, that son of the unborn, wise in all and knower of the self, together with his wife, fell to the earth with tearful eyes.

धराधरात्तं पतितं धरा तदा दधार तत्रापि विचित्रकण्ठी करांबुजाभ्यां करिखेलगामिनी रुदन्तमादाय रुरोद सा च

As he fell from the mountain, the earth then supported him; even there, the one with a wondrously adorned neck, moving like an elephant, took him in her lotus hands and wept as she carried the crying sage.

तदा तस्य स्नुषा प्राह पत्नी शक्तेर्महामुनिम् वसिष्ठं वदतां श्रेष्ठं रुदन्ती भयविह्वला

Then, the wife of Shakti, his daughter-in-law, spoke to the great sage Vasiṣṭha, foremost among speakers, weeping and overcome by fear.

भगवन्ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठ तव देहम् इदं शुभम् पालयस्व विभो द्रष्टुं तव पौत्रं ममात्मजम्

O revered one, best of Brāhmaṇas, preserve this blessed body of yours, O lord, so that you may see your grandson, my own son.

न त्याज्यं तव विप्रेन्द्र देहमेतत्सुशोभनम् गर्भस्थो मम सर्वार्थसाधकः शक्तिजो यतः

O foremost of Brāhmaṇas, you must not abandon this splendid body, for my child, the son of Shakti, who fulfills all purposes, is still in the womb.

एवमुक्त्वाथ धर्मज्ञा कराभ्यां कमलेक्षणा उत्थाप्य श्वशुरं नत्वा नेत्रे संमृज्य वारिणा

Having spoken thus, the righteous, lotus-eyed woman raised her father-in-law with her hands, bowed to him, and wiped his eyes with water.

दुःखितापि परित्रातुं श्वशुरं दुःखितं तदा अरुन्धतीं च कल्याणीं प्रार्थयामास दुःखिताम्

Though afflicted with sorrow, she then sought to comfort her grieving father-in-law, and she also appealed to the virtuous Arundhatī, who was herself distressed.

स्नुषावाक्यं ततः श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठ उत्थाय भूतलात् संज्ञामवाप्य चालिङ्ग्य सा पपात सुदुःखिता

Hearing the words of his daughter-in-law, Vasiṣṭha rose from the ground, regained consciousness, embraced her, and she, overwhelmed with grief, collapsed.

अरुन्धती कराभ्यां तां संस्पृश्यास्राकुलेक्षणाम् रुरोद मुनिशार्दूलो भार्यया सुतवत्सलः

Arundhatī, her eyes filled with tears, touched her, and the tiger among sages, loving his wife as a son, wept.

अथ नाभ्यंबुजे विष्णोर् यथा तस्याश्चतुर्मुखः आसीनो गर्भशय्यायां कुमार ऋचमाह सः

Then, just as the four-faced one sits in Viṣṇu’s navel-lotus, the boy, lying in the womb, recited a Ṛc (Vedic verse).

ततो निशम्य भगवान् वसिष्ठ ऋचमादरात् केनोक्तमिति संचिन्त्य तदातिष्ठत्समाहितः

Hearing this, the venerable Vasiṣṭha, with reverence, wondered who had spoken it, and concentrated his mind upon it.

व्योमाङ्गणस्थो ऽथ हरिः पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणः वसिष्ठमाह विश्वात्मा घृणया स घृणानिधिः

Then Hari, standing in the sky, his eyes like lotuses, the soul of the universe and repository of compassion, spoke to Vasiṣṭha with kindness.