Linga Purana

मत्समस्तव पौत्रो ऽसौ शक्तिजः शक्तिमान्मुने तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ संत्यज्य शोकं ब्रह्मसुतोत्तम

O sage, this son of Shakti, your grandson, is mine as well as yours, and he is powerful; therefore, arise, O best of Brahmā’s sons, abandoning your grief.

रुद्रभक्तश् च गर्भस्थो रुद्रपूजापरायणः रुद्रदेवप्रभावेण कुलं ते संतरिष्यति

He, while still in the womb, is a devotee of Rudra, intent on worshipping Rudra; by the power of Rudra, your lineage will be preserved.

एवमुक्त्वा घृणी विप्रं भगवान् पुरुषोत्तमः वसिष्ठं मुनिशार्दूलं तत्रैवान्तरधीयत

Having spoken thus, the compassionate Supreme Person vanished there itself from the sight of the sage Vasiṣṭha, the tiger among sages.

ततः प्रणम्य शिरसा वसिष्ठो वारिजेक्षणम् अदृश्यन्त्या महातेजाः पस्पर्शोदरमादरात्

Then Vasiṣṭha, of great splendor, bowed his head to the lotus-eyed Lord, and, though he had become invisible, reverently touched the womb.

हा पुत्र पुत्र पुत्रेति पपात च सुदुःखितः ललापारुन्धती प्रेक्ष्य तदासौ रुदतीं द्विजाः

Alas, son, son, he cried, and fell down, overwhelmed with grief; seeing Arundhatī wailing, the Brāhmaṇas comforted her.

स्वपुत्रं च स्मरन् दुःखात् पुनरेह्येहि पुत्रक तव पुत्रमिमं दृष्ट्वा भो शक्ते कुलधारणम्

Remembering his own son in his sorrow, he called out again, 'Come, come, my child! Behold, O Shakti, your son, the upholder of the lineage.'

तवान्तिकं गमिष्यामि तव मात्रा न संशयः एवमुक्त्वा रुदन्विप्र आलिङ्ग्यारुन्धतीं तदा

'I will go to you, together with your mother, without doubt.' Having spoken thus, the Brāhmaṇa, weeping, embraced Arundhatī at that time.

पपात ताडयन्तीव स्वस्य कुक्षी करेण वै अदृश्यन्ती जघानाथ शक्तिजस्यालयं शुभा

She fell, striking her own belly with her hand as if in pain, and the noble wife of Śakti vanished, destroying the abode of Śakti.

स्वोदरं दुःखिता भूमौ ललाप च पपात च अरुन्धति तदा भीता वसिष्ठश् च महामतिः

Distressed, she lamented on the ground, and fell down; at that moment, Arundhatī was afraid, and Vasiṣṭha, the great-minded sage, too.

समुत्थाप्य स्नुषां बालाम् ऊचतुर्भयविह्वलौ

Raising up their young daughter-in-law, the two, shaken by fear, spoke to her.

विचारमुग्धे तव गर्भमण्डलं करांबुजाभ्यां विनिहत्य दुर्लभम् कुलं वसिष्ठस्य समस्तमप्यहो निहन्तुमार्ये कथमुद्यता वद

O bewildered one, why have you struck your womb with your lotus-like hands, intending to destroy the entire, rare lineage of Vasiṣṭha? Tell us, noble lady, how you have become ready for such a deed.

तवात्मजं शक्तिसुतं च दृष्ट्वा चास्वाद्य वक्त्रामृतम् आर्यसूनोः त्रातुं यतो देहमिमं मुनीन्द्रः सुनिश्चितः पाहि ततः शरीरम्

Seeing your own son, the son of Śakti, and tasting the nectar of his mouth, the noble son of the sage was determined to protect this body; therefore, preserve the body.

एवं स्नुषामुपालभ्य मुनिं चारुन्धती स्थिता अरुन्धती वसिष्ठस्य प्राह चार्तेति विह्वला

Thus reproaching their daughter-in-law, Arundhatī stood beside the sage; Arundhatī, distressed and agitated, spoke to Vasiṣṭha.

त्वय्येव जीवितं चास्य मुनेर् यत् सुव्रते मम जीवितं रक्ष देहस्य धात्री च कुरु यद्धितम्

O virtuous one, the life of this sage depends on you alone; protect my life, and as the nurse of the body, do what is beneficial.

मया यदि मुनिश्रेष्ठस् त्रातुं वै निश्चितं स्वकम् ममाशुभं शुभं देहं कथंचित् पालयाम्यहम्

If I am determined to protect the great sage, then whether my body is auspicious or inauspicious, I will somehow preserve it.

प्रियदुःखमहं प्राप्ता ह्य् असती नात्र संशयः मुने दुःखादहं दग्धा यतः पुत्री मुने तव

I have received both joy and sorrow, and am unchaste—there is no doubt of this, O sage; I am burned by grief because I am your daughter, O sage.

अहो ऽद्भुतं मया दृष्टं दुःखपात्री ह्यहं विभो दुःखत्राता भव ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मसूनो जगद्गुरो

Ah, I have seen something wondrous; I am indeed a vessel of sorrow, O Lord. Become the remover of sorrow, O Brahman, son of Brahma, teacher of the world.

तथापि भर्तृरहिता दीना नारी भवेदिह पाहि मां तत आर्येन्द्र परिभूता भविष्यति

Still, a woman deprived of her husband becomes miserable here; protect me, O noble lord, otherwise I will be dishonored.

पिता माता च पुत्राश्च पौत्राः श्वशुर एव च एते न बान्धवाः स्त्रीणां भर्ता बन्धुः परा गतिः

Father, mother, sons, grandsons, and father-in-law—these are not true relatives for women; the husband is the true relative and the highest refuge.

आत्मनो यद्धि कथितम् अप्यर्धमिति पण्डितैः तदप्यत्र मृषा ह्यासीद् गतः शक्तिरहं स्थिता

Even what has been spoken by the wise about the self is only half true; even that proved false here, for Śakti is gone and I remain.

अहो ममात्र काठिन्यं मनसो मुनिपुङ्गव पतिं प्राणसमं त्यक्त्वा स्थिता यत्र क्षणं यतः

Ah, how hard is my mind, O foremost sage, that I remain here for a moment, having abandoned my husband, who is as dear as life.

वसिष्ठाश्वत्थमाश्रित्य ह्य् अमृता तु यथा लता निर्मूलाप्यमृता भर्त्रा त्यक्ता दीना स्थिताप्यहम्

Relying on Vasiṣṭha, like a creeper on a tree, I am immortal even though uprooted; abandoned by my husband, I remain miserable.

स्नुषावाक्यं निशम्यैव वसिष्ठो भार्यया सह तदा चक्रे मतिं धीमान् यातुं स्वाश्रममाश्रमी

Hearing the words of their daughter-in-law, Vasiṣṭha, together with his wife, then resolved, being wise, to return to his own hermitage.

कृच्छ्रात्सभार्यो भगवान् वसिष्ठः स्वाश्रमं क्षणात् अदृश्यन्त्या च पुण्यात्मा संविवेश स चिन्तयन्

With difficulty, the blessed Vasiṣṭha, along with his wife, quickly went to his own hermitage; the virtuous one entered, unseen, reflecting.

सा गर्भं पालयामास कथंचिन्मुनिपुङ्गवाः कुलसंधारणार्थाय शक्तिपत्नी पतिव्रता

The wife of Śakti, devoted to her husband, somehow preserved her pregnancy, O foremost sages, for the sake of maintaining the lineage.

ततः सासूत तनयं दशमे मासि सुप्रभम् शक्तिपत्नी यथा शक्तिं शक्तिमन्तमरुन्धती

Then, in the tenth month, Śakti's wife gave birth to a radiant son, just as Arundhatī gave birth to a powerful son according to her ability.

असूत सा दितिर्विष्णुं यथा स्वाहा गुहं सुतम् अग्निं यथारणिः पत्नी शक्तेः साक्षात्पराशरम्

She gave birth as Diti bore Viṣṇu, as Svāhā bore Guha, as the wife of Agni bore a son from the fire-stick, and as Śakti's wife bore Parāśara himself.

यदा तदा शक्तिसूनुर् अवतीर्णो महीतले शक्तिस्त्यक्त्वा तदा दुःखं पितॄणां समतां ययौ

At that time, when Śakti's son descended to earth, Śakti was freed from his suffering and attained equality with the ancestors.

भ्रातृभिः सह पुण्यात्मा आदित्यैर् इव भास्करः रराज पितृलोकस्थो वासिष्ठो मुनिपुङ्गवाः

Dwelling among the ancestors, the illustrious Vāsiṣṭha shone with his brothers, like the sun among the Ādityas, foremost among sages.