Linga Purana

नरकं च जगामान्या तस्माद्भर्ता परा गतिः तथापि भर्तॄन् स्वांस् त्यक्त्वा बभूवुः स्वैरवृत्तयः

Another went to hell; therefore, the husband is the highest goal; yet, abandoning their own husbands, they became women of independent conduct.

मायया देवदेवस्य विष्णोस्तस्याज्ञया प्रभोः अलक्ष्मीश् च स्वयं तस्य नियोगात्त्रिपुरं गता

By the illusion of the god of gods, Vishnu, and by the command of that lord, Alakshmi herself, by his order, went to Tripura.

या लक्ष्मीस्तपसा तेषां लब्धा देवेश्वरादजात् बहिर्गता परित्यज्य नियोगाद्ब्रह्मणः प्रभोः

That Lakshmi, who was obtained by their austerity from the lord of gods, departed, abandoning them, by the command of Brahma, the lord.

बुद्धिमोहं तथाभूतं विष्णुमायाविनिर्मितम् तेषां दत्त्वा क्षणं देवस् तासां मायी च नारदः

Giving them such delusion of intellect, created by Vishnu's illusion, the god and the illusory Narada bestowed it upon them for a moment.

सुखासीनौ ह्यसंभ्रान्तौ धर्मविघ्नार्थमव्ययौ एवं नष्टे तदा धर्मे श्रौतस्मार्ते सुशोभने

Seated comfortably and unperturbed, unchanging for the obstruction of dharma, thus at that time, the beautiful Vedic and traditional dharma was lost.

पाषण्डे ख्यापिते तेन विष्णुना विश्वयोनिना त्यक्ते महेश्वरे दैत्यैस् त्यक्ते लिङ्गार्चने तथा

When heresy was thus proclaimed by Vishnu, the source of the universe, and the Daityas abandoned Maheshvara and the worship of the Linga—

स्त्रीधर्मे निखिले नष्टे दुराचारे व्यवस्थिते कृतार्थ इव देवेशो देवैः सार्धमुमापतिम्

When all women's dharma was lost and evil conduct prevailed, the lord of gods, as if satisfied, together with the gods, approached the consort of Uma.

तपसा प्राप्य सर्वज्ञं तुष्टाव पुरुषोत्तमः महेश्वराय देवाय नमस्ते परमात्मने

Having attained the all-knowing one through austerity, Purushottama praised him: 'Obeisance to Maheshvara, the god, the supreme self.'

नारायणाय शर्वाय ब्रह्मणे ब्रह्मरूपिणे शाश्वताय ह्यनन्ताय अव्यक्ताय च ते नमः

'Obeisance to Narayana, to Sharva, to Brahma, to the one who is of the form of Brahma, to the eternal, the infinite, the unmanifest—salutations to you.'

एवं स्तुत्वा महादेवं दण्डवत्प्रणिपत्य च जजाप रुद्रं भगवान् कोटिवारं जले स्थितः

Having thus praised the great god, and bowing down in prostration, the blessed one recited the Rudra mantra ten million times while standing in the water.

देवाश् च सर्वे ते देवं तुष्टुवुः परमेश्वरम् सेन्द्राः ससाध्याः सयमाः सरुद्राः समरुद्गणाः

And all the gods, together with Indra, the Sādhyas, Yamas, Rudras, and hosts of Maruts, praised the supreme lord.

नमः सर्वात्मने तुभ्यं शङ्करायार्तिहारिणे रुद्राय नीलरुद्राय कद्रुद्राय प्रचेतसे

Salutations to you, who are the soul of all, to Śaṅkara, the remover of suffering, to Rudra, to Nīlarudra, to Kadrudra, to Pracetas.

गतिर्नः सर्वदास्माभिर् वन्द्यो देवारिमर्दनः त्वमादिस्त्वमनन्तश् च अनन्तश्चाक्षयः प्रभुः

You are always our refuge; you are to be worshipped by us, the destroyer of the enemies of the gods. You are the beginning, you are the endless one, and you are the imperishable lord.

प्रकृतिः पुरुषः साक्षात् स्रष्टा हर्ता जगद्गुरो त्राता नेता जगत्यस्मिन् द्विजानां द्विजवत्सल

You are directly both Prakṛti and Puruṣa, the creator, the destroyer, the teacher of the world, the protector, the leader in this universe, and the one who loves the twice-born like a father.

वरदो वाङ्मयो वाच्यो वाच्यवाचकवर्जितः याज्यो मुक्त्यर्थमीशानो योगिभिर् योगविभ्रमैः

You are the bestower of boons, the essence of speech, the one to be spoken of, and beyond both word and meaning; you are to be worshipped for the sake of liberation, O Lord, by yogis through the wonders of yoga.

हृत्पुण्डरीकसुषिरे योगिनां संस्थितः सदा वदन्ति सूरयः सन्तं परं ब्रह्मस्वरूपिणम्

You are always established in the hollow of the lotus-heart of yogis; the wise declare you to be the true, supreme, and essential form of Brahman.

भवन्तं तत्त्वम् इत्यार्यास् तेजोराशिं परात्परम् परमात्मानमित्याहुर् अस्मिञ्जगति तद्विभो

The noble ones call you the true reality, the mass of radiance, the supreme of the supreme, the supreme self in this world, O Lord.

दृष्टं श्रुतं स्थितं सर्वं जायमानं जगद्गुरो अणोरल्पतरं प्राहुर् महतो ऽपि महत्तरम्

Everything seen, heard, and existing, all that is born, O teacher of the world, is said to be subtler than the subtle and greater than the great.

सर्वतः पाणिपादं त्वां सर्वतो ऽक्षिशिरोमुखम् सर्वतः श्रुतिमल्लोके सर्वमावृत्य तिष्ठसि

You have hands and feet everywhere, faces, heads, and eyes everywhere; you exist in the world with ears everywhere, pervading all things.

महादेवमनिर्देश्यं सर्वज्ञं त्वामनामयम् विश्वरूपं विरूपाक्षं सदाशिवम् अनामयम्

You are the great god, indescribable, all-knowing, free from affliction, of universal form, with diverse eyes, ever-auspicious, and without suffering.

कोटिभास्करसंकाशं कोटिशीतांशुसन्निभम् कोटिकालाग्निसंकाशं षड्विंशकमनीश्वरम्

You shine like ten million suns, resemble ten million moons, blaze like ten million fires of dissolution, and are the lord of the twenty-sixth principle.

प्रवर्तकं जगत्यस्मिन् प्रकृतेः प्रपितामहम् वदन्ति वरदं देवं सर्वावासं स्वयंभुवम्

You are called the originator in this world, the great-grandfather of nature, the giver of boons, the god who is the abode of all, the self-born.

श्रुतयः श्रुतिसारं त्वां श्रुतिसारविदो जनाः

The Vedas declare you to be their essence, and those who know the essence of the Vedas recognize you as such.

अदृष्टमस्माभिर् अनेकमूर्ते विना कृतं यद्भवताथ लोके त्वमेव दैत्यासुरभूतसंघान् देवान् नरान् स्थावरजङ्गमांश् च

What has been done in this world by you, O one of many forms, remains unseen by us; you alone are the source of the hosts of demons, gods, humans, and all that is moving and unmoving.

पाहि नान्या गतिः शंभो विनिहत्यासुरोत्तमान् मायया मोहिताः सर्वे भवतः परमेश्वर

Protect us, O Śambhu; there is no other refuge. Having destroyed the foremost of the demons, all are deluded by your māyā, O supreme lord.

यथा तरङ्गा लहरीसमूहा युध्यन्ति चान्योन्यमपांनिधौ च जलाश्रयादेव जडीकृताश् च सुरासुरास्तद्वदजस्य सर्वम्

Just as waves and billows contend with each other in the ocean, yet are stilled by the very water that supports them, so too, O lord, are all the gods and demons subdued by you.

य इदं प्रातरुत्थाय शुचिर्भूत्वा जपेन्नरः शृणुयाद्वा स्तवं पुण्यं सर्वकामम् अवाप्नुयात्

Whoever, rising in the morning and purified, recites or hears this sacred hymn attains all desired things.

स्तुतस्त्वेवं सुरैर्विष्णोर् जपेन च महेश्वरः सोमः सोमाम् अथालिङ्ग्य नन्दिदत्तकरः स्मयन्

Thus praised by the gods and by Viṣṇu's recitation, Maheśvara, Soma, embraced Soma and, smiling, took the hand given by Nandi.

प्राह गंभीरया वाचा देवानालोक्य शङ्करः ज्ञातं मयेदमधुना देवकार्यं सुरेश्वराः

Śaṅkara, beholding the gods, spoke in a deep voice: 'O lords of the gods, now I have understood this divine task.'