Linga Purana

नमः सेनाधिपतये रुद्राणां पतये नमः भूतानां भुवनेशानां पतये पापहारिणे

Salutations to the commander of armies, to the lord of Rudras, to the lord of beings, of the rulers of the worlds, and destroyer of sin.

रुद्राय रुद्रपतये रौद्रपापहराय ते नमः शिवाय सौम्याय रुद्रभक्ताय ते नमः

Salutations to Rudra, to the lord of Rudras, to the remover of fierce sins; salutations to Śiva, the gentle one, the devotee of Rudra.

ततः प्रीतो गणाध्यक्षः प्राह देवांश्छिवात्मजः रथं च सारथिं शंभोः कार्मुकं शरमुत्तमम्

Then, pleased, the leader of the hosts, son of Śiva, spoke to the gods of Śambhu's chariot, charioteer, bow, and supreme arrow.

कर्तुमर्हथ यत्नेन नष्टं मत्वा पुरत्रयम् अथ ते ब्रह्मणा सार्धं तथा वै विश्वकर्मणा

You must strive with effort, considering the triple city destroyed; then, together with Brahmā and Viśvakarman, you should act accordingly.

रथं चक्रुः सुसंरब्धा देवदेवस्य धीमतः

With great zeal, they constructed the chariot of the wise god of gods.

अथ रुद्रस्य देवस्य निर्मितो विश्वकर्मणा सर्वलोकमयो दिव्यो रथो यत्नेन सादरम्

Then, for the god Rudra, Viśvakarman made, with care and effort, a divine chariot embodying all the worlds.

सर्वभूतमयश्चैव सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः सर्वदेवमयश्चैव सौवर्णः सर्वसंमतः

It was composed of all beings, worshipped by all the gods, embodying all the gods, golden, and universally esteemed.

रथाङ्गं दक्षिणं सूर्यो वामाङ्गं सोम एव च दक्षिणं द्वादशारं हि षोडशारं तथोत्तरम्

The right wheel of the chariot was the Sun, the left wheel was the Moon; the right had twelve spokes, the left sixteen.

अरेषु तेषु विप्रेन्द्राश् चादित्या द्वादशैव तु शशिनः षोडशारेषु कला वामस्य सुव्रताः

On those wheels, O best of Brahmins, the twelve Ādityas were set; on the sixteen-spoked left wheel, the phases of the Moon, O virtuous ones.

ऋक्षाणि च तदा तस्य वामस्यैव तु भूषणम् नेम्यः षडृतवश्चैव तयोर्वै विप्रपुङ्गवाः

The constellations adorned the left wheel as its ornaments; the six seasons, O foremost of Brahmins, were the felloes of the wheels.

पुष्करं चान्तरिक्षं वै रथनीडश् च मन्दरः अस्ताद्रिरुदयाद्रिश् च उभौ तौ कूबरौ स्मृतौ

The lotus was the mid-space, Mandara was the chariot's body; the western and eastern mountains were both considered its axles.

अधिष्ठानं महामेरुर् आश्रयाः केसराचलाः वेगः संवत्सरस्तस्य अयने चक्रसंगमौ

The foundation is Mount Meru; the supporting mountains are the Kesara range; its speed is the year; the solstices are the conjunctions of its wheels.

मुहूर्ता बन्धुरास्तस्य शम्याश्चैव कलाः स्मृताः तस्य काष्ठाः स्मृता घोणा चाक्षदण्डाः क्षणाश् च वै

Its moments are called bandhurās; the spokes are known as kalās; its divisions are called kāṣṭhās, the pegs are axles, and the instants are the rods.

निमेषाश्चानुकर्षाश् च ईषा चास्य लवाः स्मृताः द्यौर्वरूथं रथस्यास्य स्वर्गमोक्षावुभौ ध्वजौ

The twinklings and the minor divisions are its parts; the smallest measures are called lavās; the sky is its covering, and heaven and liberation are its two banners.

धर्मो विरागो दण्डो ऽस्य यज्ञा दण्डाश्रयाः स्मृताः दक्षिणाः संधयस्तस्य लोहाः पञ्चाशदग्नयः

Righteousness, detachment, and punishment are its rods; sacrifices are said to be supported by these rods; the offerings are its joints, and the fifty fires are its metals.

युगान्तकोटी तौ तस्य धर्मकामावुभौ स्मृतौ ईषादण्डस्तथाव्यक्तं बुद्धिस्तस्यैव नड्वलः

The two ends of the yuga are remembered as righteousness and desire; the guiding rod is the unmanifest, and wisdom is its bamboo pole.

कोणस् तथा ह्यहङ्कारो भूतानि च बलं स्मृतम् इन्द्रियाणि च तस्यैव भूषणानि समन्ततः

The angle is ego, the elements are its strength, and the senses are its ornaments all around.

श्रद्धा च गतिरस्यैव वेदास्तस्य हयाः स्मृताः पदानि भूषणान्येव षडङ्गान्युपभूषणम्

Faith and movement are its own; the Vedas are said to be its horses; the limbs are ornaments, and the six auxiliaries are its embellishments.

पुराणन्यायमीमांसाधर्मशास्त्राणि सुव्रताः वालाश्रयाः पटाश्चैव सर्वलक्षणसंयुताः

The Purāṇas, Nyāya, Mīmāṃsā, and Dharmaśāstras, O virtuous ones, are the cloth coverings, all marked with every characteristic.

मन्त्रा घण्टाः स्मृतास्तेषां वर्णाः पादास्तथाश्रमाः अवच्छेदो ह्यनन्तस्तु सहस्रफणभूषितः

Mantras are its bells, syllables are its feet, and the stages of life are its supports; its boundary is truly infinite, adorned with a thousand hoods.

दिशः पादा रथस्यास्य तथा चोपदिशश् च ह पुष्कराद्याः पताकाश् च सौवर्णा रत्नभूषिताः

The directions are the wheels of this chariot, as are the intermediate directions; the lotuses and other golden, jewel-encrusted banners are its flags.

समुद्रास्तस्य चत्वारो रथकम्बलिकाः स्मृताः गङ्गाद्याः सरितः श्रेष्ठाः सर्वाभरणभूषिताः

The four oceans are said to be its chariot-ropes; the best rivers, beginning with the Ganges, are all adorned with every ornament.

चामरासक्तहस्ताग्राः सर्वाः स्त्रीरूपशोभिताः तत्रतत्र कृतस्थानाः शोभयांचक्रिरे रथम्

All the women, holding fly-whisks at their hands' ends, adorned in female forms, stationed here and there, enhanced the beauty of the chariot.

आवहाद्यास् तथा सप्त सोपानं हैममुत्तमम् सारथिर्भगवान्ब्रह्मा देवाभीषुधराः स्मृताः

There are seven foremost golden steps; the charioteer is the venerable Brahmā, and the gods are said to be the bearers of weapons.

प्रतोदो ब्रह्मणस्तस्य प्रणवो ब्रह्मदैवतम् लोकालोकाचलस्तस्य ससोपानः समन्ततः

The goad is Brahman; the sacred syllable Om is the deity of Brahman; the Lokāloka mountain is its stairway all around.

विषमश् च तदा बाह्यो मानसाद्रिः सुशोभनः नासाः समन्ततस्तस्य सर्व एवाचलाः स्मृताः

The uneven outer mountain of the mind is splendid; all the mountains surrounding it are said to be its noses.

तलाः कपोताः कापोताः सर्वे तलनिवासिनः मेरुरेव महाछत्रं मन्दरः पार्श्वडिण्डिमः

The talas, kapotas, and kāpotas—all the dwellers of the lower regions—Mount Meru is the great umbrella, and Mandara is the side drum.

शैलेन्द्रः कार्मुकं चैव ज्या भुजङ्गाधिपः स्वयम् कालरात्र्या तथैवेह तथेन्द्रधनुषा पुनः

The lord of mountains is the bow, the string is the lord of serpents himself; likewise, the night of time and again the rainbow serve as its bowstring.

घण्टा सरस्वती देवी धनुषः श्रुतिरूपिणी इषुर्विष्णुर्महातेजाः शल्यं सोमः शरस्य च

The bell is the goddess Sarasvatī, who is the embodiment of the Vedas; the arrow is the radiant Viṣṇu, and the tip of the arrow is Soma.