Linga Purana

स हत्वा देवसम्भूतं नरकं दैत्यपुङ्गवम् ब्राह्मणस्योर्ध्वचक्रस्य वरदानान्महात्मनः

Having slain Naraka, the foremost of Daityas, born of the gods, by the boon of the great-souled brāhmaṇa Urdhvacakra, he acted.

स्वोपभोग्यानि कन्यानां षोडशातुलविक्रमः शताधिकानि जग्राह सहस्राणि महाबलः

The mighty one, of unrivaled prowess, took for his enjoyment over sixteen thousand maidens.

शापव्याजेन विप्राणाम् उपसंहृतवान् कुलम् संहृत्य तत्कुलं चैव प्रभासे ऽतिष्ठदच्युतः

On the pretext of a curse, he destroyed the lineage of the brāhmaṇas, and having annihilated that family, Acyuta remained at Prabhāsa.

तदा तस्यैव तु गतं वर्षाणामधिकं शतम् कृष्णस्य द्वारकायां वै जराक्लेशापहारिणः

Then, for over a hundred years, Kṛṣṇa, the remover of the affliction of old age, dwelled in Dvārakā.

विश्वामित्रस्य कण्वस्य नारदस्य च धीमतः शापं पिण्डारके ऽरक्षद् वचो दुर्वाससस्तदा

At that time, he protected the words of the sage Durvāsas regarding the curse of Viśvāmitra, Kaṇva, and the wise Nārada at Piṇḍāraka.

त्यक्त्वा च मानुषं रूपं जरकास्त्रच्छलेन तु अनुगृह्य च कृष्णो ऽपि लुब्धकं प्रययौ दिवम्

Then, abandoning his human form under the pretext of the arrow of Jara, Kṛṣṇa, having favored the hunter, ascended to heaven.

अष्टावक्रस्य शापेन भार्याः कृष्णस्य धीमतः चौरैश्चापहृताः सर्वास् तस्य मायाबलेन च

By the curse of Aṣṭāvakra, all the wives of wise Kṛṣṇa were carried off by thieves through the power of illusion.

बलभद्रो ऽपि संत्यज्य नागो भूत्वा जगाम च महिष्यस्तस्य कृष्णस्य रुक्मिणीप्रमुखाः शुभाः

Balabhadra too, having renounced, became a serpent and departed; and Kṛṣṇa's auspicious wives, headed by Rukmiṇī, likewise.

सहाग्निं विविशुः सर्वाः कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा रेवती च तथा देवी बलभद्रेण धीमता

All of them, along with Agni, entered the fire; and so too did the goddess Revatī, with the wise Balabhadra, whose deeds were pure.

प्रविष्टा पावकं विप्राः सा च भर्तृपथं गता प्रेतकार्यं हरेः कृत्वा पार्थः परमवीर्यवान्

The Brahmins entered the fire, and she went to her husband's path; after performing the funeral rites for Hari, Partha, of supreme valor,

रामस्य च तथान्येषां वृष्णीनामपि सुव्रतः कन्दमूलफलैस्तस्य बलिकार्यं चकार सः

And for Rama and likewise for the others, and for the Vrishnis too, the virtuous one performed the offering for them with roots, tubers, and fruits.

द्रव्याभावात् स्वयं पार्थो भ्रातृभिश् च दिवं गतः एवं संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तः कृष्णस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः

Due to lack of materials, Partha himself, along with his brothers, went to heaven; thus, in brief, has been told the account of Krishna, whose actions were untainted.

प्रभावो विलयश्चैव स्वेच्छयैव महात्मनः इत्येतत्सोमवंशानां नृपाणां चरितं द्विजाः

The manifestation and dissolution, too, of the great soul occur solely by his own will; this is the history of the kings of the Soma lineage, O twice-born.

यः पठेच्छृणुयाद्वापि ब्राह्मणान् श्रावयेदपि स याति वैष्णवं लोकं नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Whoever recites, hears, or causes Brahmins to listen to this, surely attains the Vaishnava world; there is no need for deliberation here.

आदिसर्गस्त्वया सूत सूचितो न प्रकाशितः सांप्रतं विस्तरेणैव वक्तुमर्हसि सुव्रत

O Suta, you have indicated the primordial creation, but not revealed it; now, you should narrate it in detail, O virtuous one.

महेश्वरो महादेवः प्रकृतेः पुरुषस्य च परत्वे संस्थितो देवः परमात्मा मुनीश्वराः

Maheshvara, the great god, is established in the transcendence of both Prakriti and Purusha; the god, the supreme soul, and the lords of sages.

अव्यक्तं चेश्वरात्तस्माद् अभवत्कारणं परम् प्रधानं प्रकृतिश्चेति यदाहुस्तत्त्वचिन्तकाः

From the Lord arose the unmanifest, which is the supreme cause; what is called Pradhana and Prakriti, as declared by those who contemplate reality.

गन्धवर्णरसैर् हीनं शब्दस्पर्शविवर्जितम् अजरं ध्रुवमक्षय्यं नित्यं स्वात्मन्यवस्थितम्

Devoid of scent, color, and taste, free from sound and touch, ageless, constant, imperishable, eternal, abiding in its own nature.

जगद्योनिं महाभूतं परं ब्रह्म सनातनम् विग्रहः सर्वभूतानाम् ईश्वराज्ञाप्रचोदितम्

The womb of the world, the great element, the supreme, eternal Brahman; the form of all beings, impelled by the command of the Lord.

अनाद्यन्तमजं सूक्ष्मं त्रिगुणं प्रभवाव्ययम् अप्रकाशमविज्ञेयं ब्रह्माग्रे समवर्तत

Without beginning or end, unborn, subtle, possessing the three qualities, the source and imperishable; unmanifest, unknowable, it existed at the beginning of Brahma.

अस्यात्मना सर्वमिदं व्याप्तं त्वासीच्छिवेच्छया गुणसाम्ये तदा तस्मिन्न् अविभागे तमोमये

By its own self, all this was pervaded, indeed, by Shiva's will; when the qualities were in equilibrium, in that undivided, darkness-filled state.

सर्गकाले प्रधानस्य क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितस्य वै गुणभावाद्व्यज्यमानो महान् प्रादुर्बभूव ह

At the time of creation, from Pradhana, presided over by the knower of the field, due to the activity of the qualities, the great principle manifested.

सूक्ष्मेण महता चाथ अव्यक्तेन समावृतम् सत्त्वोद्रिक्तो महानग्रे सत्तामात्रप्रकाशकः

Then, the great principle, subtle and enveloped by the unmanifest, predominated by sattva, at first, revealed only existence.

मनो महांस्तु विज्ञेयम् एकं तत्कारणं स्मृतम् समुत्पन्नं लिङ्गमात्रं क्षेत्रज्ञाधिष्ठितं हि तत्

The mind and the great principle are to be understood as one; that is remembered as its cause. The subtle mark arose, presided over by the knower of the field.

धर्मादीनि च रूपाणि लोकतत्त्वार्थहेतवः महान् सृष्टिं विकुरुते चोद्यमानः सिसृक्षया

The forms of dharma and others, causes for the truth of the world, the great principle produces creation, being stirred by the desire to create.

मनो महान्मतिर्ब्रह्म पूर्बुद्धिः ख्यातिरीश्वरः प्रज्ञा चितिः स्मृतिः संविद् विश्वेशश्चेति स स्मृतः

Mind, the great principle, intellect, Brahma, prior understanding, fame, lordship, wisdom, consciousness, memory, awareness, and the lord of the universe—thus it is remembered.

मनुते सर्वभूतानां यस्माच्चेष्टा फलं ततः सौक्ष्म्यात्तेन विभक्तं तु येन तन्मन उच्यते

Because it thinks of the actions and fruits of all beings, due to its subtlety it is differentiated; thus, that is called mind.

तत्त्वानाम् अग्रजो यस्मान् महांश् च परिमाणतः विशेषेभ्यो गुणेभ्यो ऽपि महानिति ततः स्मृतः

Because he is the eldest among the principles and vast in extent, and greater even than the specific qualities, he is therefore called the Great (Mahān).

बिभर्ति मानं मनुते विभागं मन्यते ऽपि च पुरुषो भोगसंबन्धात् तेन चासौ मतिः स्मृतः

He bears honor, considers distinctions, and perceives divisions; because the person is connected to enjoyment, this is therefore called mind (mati).