Linga Purana

दिव्यः क्व देवेश भवत्प्रभावो वयं क्व भक्तिः क्व च ते स्तुतिश् च तथापि भक्त्या विलपन्तमीश पितामहं मां भगवन्क्षमस्व

Where is your divine power, O Lord of gods, and where are we? Where is devotion, and where is praise of you? Yet, O Lord, forgive me, Brahma, who laments with devotion.

य इमं शृणुयाद्द्विजोत्तमा भुवि देवं प्रणिपत्य पठेत् स च मुञ्चति पापबन्धनं भवभक्त्या पुरशासितुः स्तवम्

Whoever on earth, O best of twice-born, listens to or recites this hymn to the Lord with devotion, bowing down, is freed from the bonds of sin by devotion to the Lord of the city.

श्रुत्वा च भक्त्या चतुराननेन स्तुतो हसञ्शैलसुतां निरीक्ष्य स्तवं तदा प्राह महानुभावं महाभुजो मन्दरशृङ्गवासी

Having heard this hymn, and seeing Parvati, Brahma praised with devotion; then the mighty-armed, great-souled Lord, dwelling on Mandara's peak, spoke with a smile.

स्तवेनानेन तुष्टो ऽस्मि तव भक्त्या च पद्मज वरान् वरय भद्रं ते देवानां च यथेप्सितान्

By this hymn I am pleased, and by your devotion, O Padmaja; choose your boons, let there be welfare for you, and for the gods as you desire.

ततः प्रणम्य देवेशं भगवान्पद्मसंभवः कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा प्राहेदं प्रीतमानसः

Then, having bowed to the Lord of gods, the blessed one born from the lotus, with hands joined in reverence, spoke these words with a delighted heart.

भगवन्देवदेवेश त्रिपुरान्तक शङ्कर त्वयि भक्तिं परां मे ऽद्य प्रसीद परमेश्वरम्

O Lord, Lord of gods, destroyer of Tripura, Śaṅkara, grant me supreme devotion to you today; be gracious, O Supreme Lord.

देवानां चैव सर्वेषां त्वयि सर्वार्थदेश्वर प्रसीद भक्तियोगेन सारथ्येन च सर्वदा

And for all the gods as well, O Lord who bestows all aims, be gracious, always through devotion and through guidance.

जनार्दनो ऽपि भगवान् नमस्कृत्य महेश्वरम् कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा प्राह सांबं त्रियंबकम्

Janārdana too, the blessed one, having bowed to Maheśvara, with hands joined in reverence, spoke to Sāmbā and Tryambaka.

वाहनत्वं तवेशान नित्यमीहे प्रसीद मे त्वयि भक्तिं च देवेश देवदेव नमो ऽस्तु ते

I always desire to be your vehicle, O Lord; be gracious to me. Grant me devotion to you, O Lord of gods, God of gods; salutations to you.

सामर्थ्यं च सदा मह्यं भवन्तं वोढुमीश्वरम् सर्वज्ञत्वं च वरद सर्वगत्वं च शङ्कर

Grant me always the ability to bear you, O Lord, and the gift of omniscience, O bestower of boons, and omnipresence, O Śaṅkara.

तयोः श्रुत्वा महादेवो विज्ञप्तिं परमेश्वरः सारथ्ये वाहनत्वे च कल्पयामास वै भवः

Hearing their requests, the great god, the Supreme Lord, appointed Bhava to the roles of charioteer and vehicle.

दत्त्वा तस्मै ब्रह्मणे विष्णवे च दग्ध्वा दैत्यान्देवदेवो महात्मा सार्धं देव्या नन्दिना भूतसंघैर् अन्तर्धानं कारयामास शर्वः

Having given these to Brahmā and Viṣṇu, and having burned the demons, the great-souled Lord of gods, together with the goddess, Nandin, and the hosts of spirits, caused himself to disappear.

ततस्तदा महेश्वरे गते रणाद्गणैः सह सुरेश्वराः सुविस्मिता भवं प्रणम्य पार्वतीम्

Then, when Maheśvara departed from the battle with his attendants, the lords of gods, filled with wonder, bowed to Bhava and to Pārvatī.

ययुश् च दुःखवर्जिताः स्ववाहनैर्दिवं ततः सुरेश्वरा मुनीश्वरा गणेश्वराश् च भास्कराः

Freed from sorrow, they went to heaven on their own vehicles—the lords of gods, the lords of sages, the lords of hosts, and the radiant ones.

त्रिपुरारेरिमं पुण्यं निर्मितं ब्रह्मणा पुरा यः पठेच्छ्राद्धकाले वा दैवे कर्मणि च द्विजाः

This sacred account of the enemy of Tripura, composed long ago by Brahmā—whoever recites it at the time of śrāddha or during divine rites, O twice-born ones,

श्रावयेद्वा द्विजान् भक्त्या ब्रह्मलोकं स गच्छति मानसैर्वाचिकैः पापैस् तथा वै कायिकैः पुनः

Or causes it to be heard by the twice-born with devotion, he attains the world of Brahmā, freed from sins of mind, speech, and body.

स्थूलैः सूक्ष्मैः सुसूक्ष्मैश् च महापातकसंभवैः पातकैश् च द्विजश्रेष्ठा उपपातकसंभवैः

From gross, subtle, and very subtle sins, from great sins and minor sins, O best of twice-born, arising from great transgressions,

पापैश् च मुच्यते जन्तुः श्रुत्वाध्यायमिमं शुभम् शत्रवो नाशमायान्ति संग्रामे विजयीभवेत्

A being is freed from sins by hearing this auspicious chapter; enemies are destroyed, and one becomes victorious in battle.

सर्वरोगैर्न बाध्येत आपदो न स्पृशन्ति तम् धनमायुर्यशो विद्यां प्रभावमतुलं लभेत्

He is not afflicted by any diseases, misfortunes do not touch him; he obtains incomparable wealth, lifespan, fame, learning, and power.

गते महेश्वरे देवे दग्ध्वा च त्रिपुरं क्षणात् सदस्याह सुरेन्द्राणां भगवान्पद्मसंभवः

When the god Maheśvara departed, having burned Tripura in an instant, the blessed one born from the lotus addressed the assembly of the lords of gods.

संत्यज्य देवदेवेशं लिङ्गमूर्तिमहेश्वरम् तारपौत्रो महातेजास् तारकस्य सुतो बली

Having left the Lord of gods, Maheśvara in the form of the liṅga, the powerful grandson of Tāraka, the mighty son of Tāraka, remained.

तारकाक्षो ऽपि दितिजः कमलाक्षश् च वीर्यवान् विद्युन्माली च दैत्येशः अन्ये चापि सबान्धवाः

Tārakākṣa, the son of Diti, Kamalākṣa the mighty, Vidyunmālī the lord of the Daityas, and others with their kin—

त्यक्त्वा देवं महादेवं मायया च हरेः प्रभोः सर्वे विनष्टाः प्रध्वस्ताः स्वपुरैः पुरसंभवैः

Having abandoned the great god, Mahādeva, and the Lord Hari through delusion, all of them were destroyed and ruined, along with their cities and their inhabitants.

तस्मात्सदा पूजनीयो लिङ्गमूर्तिः सदाशिवः यावत्पूजा सुरेशानां तावदेव स्थितिर्यतः

Therefore, the liṅga form of Sadāśiva must always be worshipped; as long as the gods are worshipped, so long does their existence endure.

पूजनीयः शिवो नित्यं श्रद्धया देवपुङ्गवैः सर्वलिङ्गमयो लोकः सर्वं लिङ्गे प्रतिष्ठितम्

Śiva must be worshipped always, with faith, by the foremost of the gods; the whole world is pervaded by the liṅga, and all is established in the liṅga.

तस्मात् सम्पूजयेल्लिङ्गं य इच्छेत्सिद्धिमात्मनः सर्वे लिङ्गार्चनादेव देवा दैत्याश् च दानवाः

Therefore, whoever desires perfection for himself should worship the liṅga; for all gods, asuras, and dānavas attain through worship of the liṅga alone.

यक्षा विद्याधराः सिद्धा राक्षसाः पिशिताशनाः पितरो मुनयश्चापि पिशाचाः किन्नरादयः

Yakṣas, vidyādharas, siddhas, rākṣasas, flesh-eaters, ancestors, sages, piśācas, kinnaras, and others—

अर्चयित्वा लिङ्गमूर्ति संसिद्धा नात्र संशयः तस्माल्लिङ्गं यजेन्नित्यं येन केनापि वा सुराः

Having worshipped the liṅga form, they have attained perfection—there is no doubt of this; therefore, the liṅga should be worshipped always, by anyone whatsoever, O gods.

पशवश् च वयं तस्य देवदेवस्य धीमतः पशुत्वं च परित्यज्य कृत्वा पाशुपतं ततः

We, and all beings, are the subjects of that wise Lord of gods; renouncing our state as subjects, we become followers of Paśupati.