Linga Purana

अद्भिः संछादितां भूमिं स तामाशु प्रजापतिः उपगम्योज्जहारैनाम् आपश्चापि समाविशत्

The Lord of creatures swiftly approached the earth, covered by the waters, seized her, and entered the waters as well.

सामुद्रा वै समुद्रेषु नादेयाश् च नदीषु च रसातलतले मग्नां रसातलपुटे गताम्

The rivers were in the oceans, and the gifts in the rivers; the earth had sunk to the bottom of the netherworld, entering its deepest recess.

प्रभुर्लोकहितार्थाय दंष्ट्रयाभ्युज्जहार गाम् ततः स्वस्थानमानीय पृथिवीं पृथिवीधरः

For the welfare of the worlds, the Lord raised the earth with his tusk, then, bringing her to her proper place, the supporter of the earth restored her.

मुमोच पूर्ववद् असौ धारयित्वा धराधरः तस्योपरि जलौघस्य महती नौरिव स्थिता

Having supported the earth, the bearer of the earth released her as before; upon her, a great mass of water stood, like a vast ship.

तत्समा ह्युरुदेहत्वान् न मही याति संप्लवम् तत उत्क्षिप्य तां देवो जगतः स्थापनेच्छया

Because she was supported by his own body, the earth did not sink; then, lifting her up, the god, desiring to establish the world, did so.

पृथिव्याः प्रविभागाय मनश्चक्रे ऽम्बुजेक्षणः पृथिवीं च समां कृत्वा पृथिव्यां सो ऽचिनोद् गिरीन्

For the division of the earth, the lotus-eyed one conceived in his mind, and making the earth level, he placed the mountains upon her.

प्राक्सर्गे दह्यमाने तु तदा संवर्तकाग्निना तेनाग्निना विशीर्णास्ते पर्वता भूरिविस्तराः

At the beginning of creation, when everything was being burned by the fire of dissolution, those vast mountains were shattered by that fire.

शैत्यादेकार्णवे तस्मिन् वायुना तेन संहताः निषिक्ता यत्र यत्रासंस् तत्र तत्राचलाभवन्

By cold, in that single ocean, they were compressed by the wind; wherever they were deposited, there they became immovable mountains.

तदाचलत्वाद् अचलाः पर्वभिः पर्वताः स्मृताः गिरयो हि निगीर्णत्वाच् छयानत्वाच्छिलोच्चयाः

Because they do not move, they are called 'mountains' (acala); and because they are heaped up, they are known as 'heaps of rocks' (śiloccaya).

ततस्तेषु विकीर्णेषु कोटिशो हि गिरिष्वथ विश्वकर्मा विभजते कल्पादिषु पुनः पुनः

Then, when those mountains were scattered in millions, Viśvakarman divides them again and again at the beginning of each cycle.

ससमुद्रामिमां पृथ्वीं सप्तद्वीपां सपर्वताम् भूराद्यांश् चतुरो लोकान् पुनः सो ऽथ व्यकल्पयत्

He then arranged this earth, with its oceans, seven continents, and mountains, and the four worlds beginning with Bhū, once more.

लोकान् प्रकल्पयित्वाथ प्रजासर्गं ससर्ज ह ब्रह्मा स्वयंभूर्भगवान् सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः

Having thus established the worlds, the self-born Lord Brahmā, desiring to create, produced the various beings.

ससर्ज सृष्टिं तद्रूपां कल्पादिषु यथापुरा तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गं तथा वै बुद्धिपूर्वकम्

He created creation in the same manner as in previous cycles; as he contemplated creation, so it came to be, with deliberate thought.

बुद्ध्याश् च समकाले वै प्रादुर्भूतस् तमोमयः तमोमोहो महामोहस् तामिस्रश्चान्धसंज्ञितः

And at the same time as intellect, there arose that which is composed of darkness: ignorance, great delusion, and what is called tamas and andhas.

अविद्या पञ्चपर्वैषा प्रादुर्भूता महात्मनः पञ्चधावस्थितः सर्गो ध्यायतः सो ऽभिमानिनः

This ignorance, with five aspects, arose from the Great Soul; the creation that abides in fivefold form belongs to the one who meditates with self-conceit.

संवृतस्तमसा चैव बीजाङ्कुरवदावृतः बहिरन्तश्चाप्रकाशस् तब्धो निःसंज्ञ एव च

Enveloped by darkness, covered like a seed by its sprout, without light within or without, it is inert and devoid of awareness.

यस्मात्तेषां वृता बुद्धिर् दुःखानि करणानि च तस्मात्ते संवृतात्मानो नगा मुख्याः प्रकीर्तिताः

Because their intellect is veiled and their instruments are sources of suffering, therefore these beings with veiled selves are called the primary trees.

मुख्यसर्गं तथाभूतं दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्मा ह्यसाधकम् अप्रसन्नमनाः सो ऽथ ततो ऽन्यं सो ह्यमन्यत

Seeing that the primary creation was thus ineffective, Brahmā, with a mind dissatisfied, then conceived of another creation.

तस्याभिध्यायतश्चैव तिर्यक्स्रोता ह्यवर्तत तस्मात् तिर्यक्प्रवृत्तः स तिर्यक्स्रोतास् ततः स्मृतः

As he contemplated, a crosswise stream arose; from that, the crosswise-moving beings came forth, and thus they are known as the crosswise stream.

पश्वादयस्ते विख्याता उत्पथग्राहिणो द्विजाः तस्याभिध्यायतो ऽन्यं वै सात्त्विकः समवर्तत

These, beginning with cattle, are known as those who stray from the path, O twice-born; as he contemplated further, a sattvic creation arose.

ऊर्ध्वस्रोतास्तृतीयस्तु स वै चोर्ध्वं व्यवस्थितः यस्मात्प्रवर्तते चोर्ध्वम् ऊर्ध्वस्रोतास्ततः स्मृतः

The third creation is the upward stream, which is established above; because it proceeds upward, it is therefore called the upward stream.

ते सुखप्रीतिबहुला बहिरन्तश् च संवृताः प्रकाशा बहिरन्तश् च ऊर्ध्वस्रोतोभवाः स्मृताः

They are abundant in happiness and delight, enclosed within and without; luminous within and without, they are known as those born of the upward stream.

ते सत्त्वस्य च योगेन सृष्टाः सत्त्वोद्भवाः स्मृताः ऊर्ध्वस्रोतास्तृतीयो वै देवसर्गस्तु स स्मृतः

Created by the union with sattva, they are remembered as born of sattva; the third, the upward stream, is known as the creation of the gods.

प्रकाशाद् बहिरन्तश् च ऊर्ध्वस्रोतोद्भवाः स्मृताः ते ऊर्ध्वस्रोतसो ज्ञेयास् तुष्टात्मानो बुधैः स्मृताः

Luminous within and without, they are remembered as born of the upward stream; these upward stream beings are to be known as contented souls, so the wise say.

ऊर्ध्वस्रोतःसु सृष्टेषु देवेषु वरदः प्रभुः प्रीतिमानभवद्ब्रह्मा ततो ऽन्यं सो ऽभ्यमन्यत

When the upward stream gods were created, the gracious Lord Brahmā became pleased, and then he conceived of another creation.

ससर्ज सर्गमन्यं हि साधकं प्रभुरीश्वरः ततो ऽभिध्यायतस्तस्य सत्याभिध्यायिनस्तदा

The Lord, the master, created another creation, effective in its purpose; then, as he contemplated, being intent on truth, it came forth.

प्रादुरासीत्तदा व्यक्ताद् अर्वाक्स्रोतास्तु साधकः यस्माद् अर्वाङ्न्यवर्तन्त ततो ऽर्वाक्स्रोतसस् तु ते

Then, from the manifest, appeared the effective creation, the forward stream; because they move forward, they are therefore called the forward stream.

ते च प्रकाशबहुलास् तमःपृक्ता रजो ऽधिकाः तस्मात्ते दुःखबहुला भूयोभूयश् च कारिणः

They are abundant in light, mixed with darkness, dominated by rajas; therefore, they are full of suffering and act repeatedly.

संवृता बहिरन्तश् च मनुष्याः साधकाश् च ते

Humans, who are effective, are veiled within and without.