Linga Purana

केशो विगतवासाश् च महाकेशो महाज्वरः सोमवल्ली सवर्णश् च सोमपः सेनकस् तथा

Keśa, unclothed, Mahākeśa, Mahājvara, Somavallī, Savarṇa, Somapa, and Senaka as well.

सोमधृक् सूर्यवाचश् च सूर्यपेषणकस् तथा सूर्याक्षः सूरिनामा च सुरः सुन्दर एव च

Somadhṛk, Sūryavāca, Sūryapeṣaṇaka, Sūryākṣa, Sūrināmā, and the beautiful god Sundara.

प्रकुदः ककुदन्तश् च कम्पनश् च प्रकम्पनः इन्द्रश् चेन्द्रजयश्चैव महाभीर् भीमकस् तथा

Prakuda, Kakudanta, Kampana, Prakampana, Indra, Indrajaya, Mahābhīr, and Bhīmaka as well.

शताक्षश्चैव पञ्चाक्षः सहस्राक्षो महोदरः यमजिह्वः शताश्वश् च कण्ठनः कण्ठपूजनः

He who has a hundred eyes, five eyes, a thousand eyes, a great belly, the tongue of Yama, a hundred horses, the one with a neck, and the one worshipped at the neck—

द्विशिखस् त्रिशिखश्चैव तथा पञ्चशिखो द्विजाः मुण्डो ऽर्धमुण्डो दीर्घश् च पिशाचास्यः पिनाकधृक्

The two-crested, the three-crested, and likewise the five-crested, O twice-born; the shaven-headed, half-shaven, the tall one, the one with a ghoul’s mouth, the bearer of the Pināka bow—

पिप्पलायतनश्चैव तथा ह्यङ्गारकाशनः शिथिलः शिथिलास्यश् च अक्षपादो ह्यजः कुजः

The one whose abode is the pippala tree, the eater of embers, the loose one, the one with a slack mouth, the one with eyes on his feet, the unborn, the Mars-like—

अजवक्त्रो हयवक्त्रो गजवक्त्रो ऽर्ध्ववक्त्रकः इत्याद्याः परिवार्येशं लक्ष्यलक्षणवर्जिताः

The one with a goat’s face, a horse’s face, an elephant’s face, the upward-faced—such as these, surrounding the Lord, devoid of marks and characteristics—

वृन्दशस्तं समावृत्य जग्मुः सोमं गणैर्वृताः सहस्राणां सहस्राणि रुद्राणामूर्ध्वरेतसाम्

A multitude of them, encircling him, went forth with Soma, accompanied by hosts—thousands upon thousands of Rudras of upward energy—

समावृत्य महादेवं देवदेवं महेश्वरम् दग्धुं पुरत्रयं जग्मुः कोटिकोटिगणैर्वृताः

Encircling the great god, the god of gods, the great lord, they went to burn the three cities, accompanied by countless hosts—

त्रयस्त्रिंशत्सुराश्चैव त्रयश् च त्रिशतास् तथा त्रयश् च त्रिसहस्राणि जग्मुर्देवाः समन्ततः

The thirty-three gods, and also three times a hundred, and three times a thousand gods likewise, went from all sides—

मातरः सर्वलोकानां गणानां चैव मातरः भूतानां मातरश्चैव जग्मुर्देवस्य पृष्ठतः

The mothers of all worlds, the mothers of the hosts, and the mothers of beings also, followed behind the god—

भाति मध्ये गणानां च रथमध्ये गणेश्वरः नभस्यमलनक्षत्रे तारामध्य इवोडुराट्

In the midst of the hosts shines the Lord of Hosts, at the center of the chariot, like the moon among stars in the spotless sky—

रराज देवी देवस्य गिरिजा पार्श्वसंस्थिता तदा प्रभावतो गौरी भवस्येव जगन्मयी

Then the goddess, the wife of the god, Girijā, stood at his side, radiant in her power, Gaurī, the all-pervading one, like Bhava’s own energy—

शुभावती तदा देवी पार्श्वसंस्था विभाति सा चामरासक्तहस्ताग्रा सा हेमांबुजवर्णिका

At that time the auspicious goddess, standing at his side, shone forth, holding a yak-tail fan in her hand, golden as a lotus—

अथ विभाति विभोर्विशदं वपुर् भसितभासितमंबिकया तया सितमिवाभ्रमहो सह विद्युता नभसि देवपतेः परमेष्ठिनः

Then the clear form of the mighty one shone, brightened by ashes, along with Ambikā, like a white cloud in the sky with lightning, O Lord of gods, O Supreme Lord—

भातीन्द्रधनुषाकाशं मेरुणा च यथा जगत् हिरण्यधनुषा सौम्यं वपुः शंभोः शशिद्युति

Shining like the sky with a rainbow, as the world does with Meru, the gentle form of Śambhu, radiant as the moon, with a golden bow—

सितातपत्रं रत्नांशुमिश्रितं परमेष्ठिनः यथोदये शशाङ्कस्य भात्यखण्डं हि मण्डलम्

The white parasol of the Supreme Lord, mingled with rays of jewels, shines like the unbroken disk of the moon at its rising—

सदुकूला शिवे रक्ता लम्बिता भाति मालिका छत्रान्ता रत्नजाकाशात् पतन्तीव सरिद्वरा

On Śiva, a red garland with fine cloth hangs, shining, ending at the parasol, as if the sacred river falls from a jeweled peak—

अथ महेन्द्रविरिञ्चिविभावसुप्रभृतिभिर् नतपादसरोरुहः सह तदा च जगाम तयांबया सकललोकहिताय पुरत्रयम्

Then, with Indra, Brahmā, Agni, and others bowing at his lotus feet, he went, together with Ambikā, for the good of all worlds, to the three cities—

दग्धुं समर्थो मनसा क्षणेन चराचरं सर्वमिदं त्रिशूली किमत्र दग्धुं त्रिपुरं पिनाकी स्वयं गतश्चात्र गणैश् च सार्धम्

He who wields the trident is able to burn, in a moment and by thought alone, all that moves and does not move—what need is there for him to burn Tripura himself, the Pinākī, who went there with his hosts—

रथेन किं चेषुवरेण तस्य गणैश् च किं देवगणैश् च शंभोः पुरत्रयं दग्धुमलुप्तशक्तेः किमेतद् इत्याहुर् अजेन्द्रमुख्याः

What need is there for a chariot, or for the best of arrows, or for his hosts, or for the hosts of gods, for Śambhu to burn the three cities? The chief among the gods, beginning with Indra, said: ‘What is this, if his power is not lost?’

मन्वाम नूनं भगवान्पिनाकी लीलार्थमेतत्सकलं प्रवर्त्तुम् व्यवस्थितश्चेति तथान्यथा चेद् आडम्बरेणास्य फलं किमन्यत्

Indeed, I think the blessed Lord Pinākin has undertaken all this merely as a sport; otherwise, what other purpose would there be in such ostentation?

पुरत्रयस्यास्य समीपवर्ती सुरेश्वरैर् नन्दिमुखैश् च नन्दी गणैर्गणेशस्तु रराज देव्या जगद्रथो मेरुरिवाष्टशृङ्गैः

Near these three cities, the Lord of the gods shone forth, surrounded by Nandi and the hosts of Nandi, and Gaṇeśa with his gaṇas, with the goddess, like Meru with its eight peaks, as the chariot of the world.

अथ निरीक्ष्य सुरेश्वरमीश्वरं सगणमद्रिसुतासहितं तदा त्रिपुररङ्गतलोपरि संस्थितः सुरगणो ऽनुजगाम स्वयं तथा

Then, seeing the Lord of the gods, the Lord, together with his hosts and Pārvatī, the hosts of gods themselves approached and stood upon the field of Tripura.

जगत्त्रयं सर्वमिवापरं तत् पुरत्रयं तत्र विभाति सम्यक् नरेश्वरैश्चैव गणैश् च देवैः सुरेतरैश् च त्रिविधैर्मुनीन्द्राः

There, that triple city shone forth like another universe, filled with kings, hosts, gods, and other divine beings, as well as the threefold great sages.

अथ सज्यं धनुः कृत्वा शर्वः संधाय तं शरम् युक्त्वा पाशुपतास्त्रेण त्रिपुरं समचिन्तयत्

Then Śarva, having strung his bow and set the arrow, empowered it with the Pāśupata missile and contemplated Tripura.

तस्मिन् स्थिते महादेवे रुद्रे विततकार्मुके पुराणि तेन कालेन जग्मुरेकत्वमाशु वै

As the great god Rudra stood there with his mighty bow drawn, at that very moment, the cities swiftly became one.

एकीभावं गते चैव त्रिपुरे समुपागते बभूव तुमुलो हर्षो देवतानां महात्मनाम्

When Tripura had become one, a tumultuous joy arose among the great-souled gods.

ततो देवगणाः सर्वे सिद्धाश् च परमर्षयः जयेति वाचो मुमुचुः संस्तुवन्तो ऽष्टमूर्तिकम्

Then all the hosts of gods, the Siddhas, and the supreme seers, praising the eight-formed Lord, uttered cries of 'Victory!'