Linga Purana

पर्यायवाचकैः शब्दैस् तत्त्वम् आद्यम् अनुत्तमम् व्याख्यातं तत्त्वभावज्ञैर् देवसद्भावचेतकैः

With words expressing various meanings, the supreme and unsurpassed principle has been explained by those who know the nature of reality and by those devoted to the divine.

महान्सृष्टिं विकुरुते चोद्यमानः सिसृक्षया संकल्पो ऽध्यवसायश् च तस्य वृत्तिद्वयं स्मृतम्

The Great (Mahat), impelled by the desire to create, brings forth creation; its two functions are called intention (saṃkalpa) and determination (adhyavasāya).

त्रिगुणाद् रजसोद्रिक्ताद् अहङ्कारस्ततो ऽभवत् महता च वृतः सर्गो भूतादिर् बाह्यतस्तु सः

From the three qualities, when rajas prevails, arises ego (ahaṅkāra); and enveloped by the Great, creation begins with the elements, which are external.

तस्मादेव तमोद्रिक्ताद् अहङ्कारादजायत भूततन्मात्रसर्गस्तु भूतादिस्तामसस्तु सः

From that very ego, when tamas prevails, arises the creation of the subtle elements, beginning with the elements, and that is said to be of the nature of darkness.

भूतादिस्तु विकुर्वाणः शब्दमात्रं ससर्ज ह आकाशं सुषिरं तस्माद् उत्पन्नं शब्दलक्षणम्

The element-principle, transforming, first produced sound alone; from that arose space, which is hollow, and its characteristic is sound.

आकाशं शब्दमात्रं तु स्पर्शमात्रं समावृणोत् वायुश्चापि विकुर्वाणो रूपमात्रं ससर्ज ह

Space is characterized solely by sound, and air, undergoing transformation, produced only touch, enveloping sound.

ज्योतिरुत्पद्यते वायोस् तद्रूपगुणम् उच्यते स्पर्शमात्रस्तु वै वायू रूपमात्रं समावृणोत्

Light arises from air; its attribute is form. Air, possessing only touch, enveloped form.

ज्योतिश्चापि विकुर्वाणं रसमात्रं ससर्ज ह सम्भवन्ति ततो ह्यापस् ता वै सर्वरसात्मिकाः

Light, undergoing transformation, produced only taste. From that, waters came into being, which possess all tastes.

रसमात्रास्तु ता ह्यापो रूपमात्रो ऽग्निर् आवृणोत् आपश्चापि विकुर्वत्यो गन्धमात्रं ससर्जिरे

Waters, characterized solely by taste, were enveloped by fire, which possesses only form. Waters, undergoing transformation, produced only smell.

संघातो जायते तस्मात् तस्य गन्धो गुणो मतः तस्मिंस्तस्मिंश् च तन्मात्रं तेन तन्मात्रता स्मृता

From that, aggregation arises; its attribute is considered to be smell. In each element, its subtle quality is present, and thus the subtlety is recognized.

अविशेषवाचकत्वाद् अविशेषास् ततस् तु ते प्रशान्तघोरमूढत्वाद् अविशेषास्ततः पुनः

Because they denote non-differentiation, they are called non-differentiated. Due to tranquility, fierceness, and delusion, they are again termed non-differentiated.

भूततन्मात्रसर्गो ऽयं विज्ञेयस्तु परस्परम् वैकारिकादहङ्कारात् सत्त्वोद्रिक्तात्तु सात्त्विकात्

This creation of the subtle elements should be understood as arising mutually from the Vaikārikā ego, which is predominated by sattva.

वैकारिकः स सर्गस्तु युगपत् सम्प्रवर्तते बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि पञ्चैव पञ्च कर्मेन्द्रियाणि च

That Vaikārikā creation manifests simultaneously: the five organs of knowledge and the five organs of action.

साधकानीन्द्रियाणि स्युर् देवा वैकारिका दश एकादशं मनस्तत्र स्वगुणेनोभयात्मकम्

The organs are instruments; the ten Vaikārikā deities preside over them. The eleventh is the mind, which, by its own quality, is of dual nature.

श्रोत्रं त्वक् चक्षुषी जिह्वा नासिका चैव पञ्चमी शब्दादीनामवाप्त्यर्थं बुद्धियुक्तानि तानि वै

Ear, skin, eyes, tongue, and nose are the five organs, endowed with intellect, for the purpose of perceiving sound and the rest.

पादौ पायुरुपस्थश् च हस्तौ वाग्दशमी भवेत् गतिर्विसर्गो ह्यानन्दः शिल्पं वाक्यं च कर्म तत्

Feet, anus, genitals, hands, and speech are the five organs of action. Movement, excretion, pleasure, craftsmanship, and speech are their respective functions.

आकाशं शब्दमात्रं च स्पर्शमात्रं समाविशत् द्विगुणस्तु ततो वायुः शब्दस्पर्शात्मको ऽभवत्

Space, characterized solely by sound, was penetrated by only touch. Then, air became twofold, possessing both sound and touch.

रूपं तथैव विशतः शब्दस्पर्शगुणावुभौ त्रिगुणस्तु ततस्त्वग्निः सशब्दस्पर्शरूपवान्

Similarly, when form entered, both sound and touch were present. Then, fire became threefold, possessing sound, touch, and form.

सशब्दस्पर्शरूपं च रसमात्रं समाविशत् तस्माच्चतुर्गुणा आपो विज्ञेयास्तु रसात्मिकाः

Sound, touch, and form, along with only taste, were penetrated. Therefore, waters are understood to be fourfold, characterized by taste.

शब्दस्पर्शं च रूपं च रसो वै गन्धमाविशत् संगता गन्धमात्रेण आविशन्तो महीमिमाम्

Sound, touch, form, and taste were penetrated by only smell. United with the attribute of smell, they entered this earth.

तस्मात्पञ्चगुणा भूमिः स्थूला भूतेषु शस्यते शान्ता घोराश् च मूढाश् च विशेषास्तेन ते स्मृताः

Therefore, earth is fivefold, gross among the elements. Peaceful, fierce, and deluded distinctions are thus remembered.

परस्परानुप्रवेशाद् धारयन्ति परस्परम् भूमेरन्तस्त्विदं सर्वं लोकालोकाचलावृतम्

By mutual interpenetration, they support each other. Within earth lies everything, enveloped by worlds, realms, and mountains.

विशेषाश्चेन्द्रियग्राह्या नियतत्वाच्च ते स्मृताः गुणं पूर्वस्य सर्गस्य प्राप्नुवन्त्युत्तरोत्तराः

The distinctions are grasped by the senses, and because they are fixed, they are remembered. Each subsequent creation acquires the attribute of the preceding one.

तेषां यावच्च तद् यच्च यच्च तावद्गुणं स्मृतम् उपलभ्याप्सु वै गन्धं केचिद् ब्रूयुर् अपां गुणम्

As long as those qualities exist, whatever is considered their attribute, some may perceive fragrance in water and call it a property of water.

पृथिव्यामेव तं विद्याद् अपां वायोश् च संश्रयात् एते सप्त महात्मानो ह्य् अन्योन्यस्य समाश्रयात्

But know that this property truly belongs to earth, though it appears in water and air due to their association; these seven great elements, by mutual association, share each other's qualities.

पुरुषाधिष्ठितत्वाच्च अव्यक्तानुग्रहेण च महादयो विशेषान्ता ह्य् अण्डमुत्पादयन्ति ते

Because of being presided over by the Purusha and through the favor of the unmanifest, these great elements, ending in the specific forms, produce the cosmic egg.

एककालसमुत्पन्नं जलबुद्बुदवच्च तत् विशेषेभ्यो ऽण्डम् अभवन् महत् तद् उदकेशयम्

That egg, arising all at once like a bubble in water, came into being from the specific elements; it is vast and rests upon the waters.

अद्भिर् दशगुणाभिस्तु बाह्यतो ऽण्डं समावृतम् आपो दशगुणेनैतास् तेजसा बाह्यतो वृताः

The egg is surrounded on the outside by water, which is ten times its own measure; and that water is itself encircled on the outside by fire, ten times greater.

तेजो दशगुणेनैव वायुना बाह्यतो वृतम् वायुर्दशगुणेनैव बाह्यतो नभसा वृतः

Fire, in turn, is surrounded on the outside by air, ten times greater; and air is encircled on the outside by ether, ten times greater.