Linga Purana

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.

पूजनीयो महादेवो लिङ्गमूर्तिः सनातनः विशोध्य चैव भूतानि पञ्चभिः प्रणवैः समम्

The great god, the eternal liṅga form, must be worshipped; and all beings must be purified together with the five praṇavas.

प्राणायामैः समायुक्तैः पञ्चभिः सुरपुङ्गवाः चतुर्भिः प्रणवैश्चैव प्राणायामपरायणैः

The foremost of the gods, joined with the five prāṇāyāmas, and with four praṇavas together with those devoted to prāṇāyāma—

त्रिभिश् च प्रणवैर्देवाः प्राणायामैस्तथाविधैः द्विधा न्यस्य तथौंकारं प्राणायामपरायणः

With three praṇavas and likewise with such prāṇāyāmas, placing the Oṃkāra in two ways, one devoted to prāṇāyāma—

ततश्चौंकारम् उच्चार्य प्राणापानौ नियम्य च ज्ञानामृतेन सर्वाङ्गान्य् आपूर्य प्रणवेन च

Then, uttering the Oṃkāra and restraining the prāṇa and apāna, filling all the limbs with the nectar of knowledge and with the praṇava—

गुणत्रयं चतुर्धाख्यम् अहङ्कारं च सुव्रताः तन्मात्राणि च भूतानि तथा बुद्धीन्द्रियाणि च

The three guṇas, known as fourfold, and the ahaṃkāra, O virtuous ones, the subtle elements, the gross elements, and the organs of knowledge—

कर्मेन्द्रियाणि संशोध्य पुरुषं युगलं तथा चिदात्मानं तनुं कृत्वा चाग्निर्भस्मेति संस्पृशेत्

Having purified the organs of action and likewise the dual person, making the self of consciousness the body, one should touch with the ashes of fire.

वायुर्भस्मेति च व्योम तथाम्भः पृथिवी तथा त्रियायुषं त्रिसंध्यं च धूलयेद् भसितेन यः

With the ashes of air, likewise of space, water, and earth, whoever anoints himself with ashes at the three junctions of the day and night—

स योगी सर्वतत्त्वज्ञो व्रतं पाशुपतं त्विदम् भवेन पाशमोक्षार्थं कथितं देवसत्तमाः

That yogī, knower of all principles, this Pāśupata vow is declared by Bhava for the sake of liberation from bondage, O best of gods.

एवं पाशुपतं कृत्वा सम्पूज्य परमेश्वरम् लिङ्गे पुरा मया दृष्टे विष्णुना च महात्मना

Thus, having performed the Pāśupata rite and worshipped the Supreme Lord, the liṅga was seen by me in ancient times, and by Viṣṇu, the great soul.

पशवो नैव जायन्ते वर्षमात्रेण देवताः अस्माभिः सर्वकार्याणां देवमभ्यर्च्य यत्नतः

No beings are born as subjects within a year, O gods, when we have carefully worshipped the god for all our undertakings.

बाह्ये चाभ्यन्तरे चैव मन्ये कर्तव्यमीश्वरम् प्रतिज्ञा मम विष्णोश् च दिव्यैषा सुरसत्तमाः

Both outwardly and inwardly, I consider the Lord to be the one to be honored; this is my vow and that of Viṣṇu, O best of the gods.

मुनीनां च न संदेहस् तस्मात् सम्पूजयेच्छिवम् सा हानिस्तन्महच्छिद्रं स मोहः सा च मूकता

There is no doubt among the sages; therefore, one should worship Śiva. That is loss, that is a great defect, that is delusion, and that is dumbness—

यत्क्षणं वा मुहूर्तं वा शिवमेकं न चिन्तयेत् भवभक्तिपरा ये च भवप्रणतचेतसः

Whenever, even for a moment or an instant, one does not contemplate Śiva alone—those who are devoted to Bhava and whose minds are surrendered to Bhava,

भवसंस्मरणोद्युक्ता न ते दुःखस्य भाजनम् भवनानि मनोज्ञानि दिव्यमाभरणं स्त्रियः

Those who are intent on remembering Bhava are not subject to suffering. Beautiful dwellings, divine ornaments, women,

धनं वा तुष्टिपर्यन्तं शिवपूजाविधेः फलम् ये वाञ्छन्ति महाभोगान् राज्यं च त्रिदशालये ते ऽर्चयन्तु सदा कालं लिङ्गमूर्तिं महेश्वरम्

Wealth up to the point of satisfaction is the fruit of the rite of worshipping Śiva. Those who desire great enjoyments and sovereignty in the abode of the gods should always worship the liṅga form of Maheśvara.

हत्वा भित्त्वा च भूतानि दग्ध्वा सर्वमिदं जगत्

Having slain, shattered beings, and burned this entire world,

यजेदेकं विरूपाक्षं न पापैः स प्रलिप्यते शैलं लिङ्गं मदीयं हि सर्वदेवनमस्कृतम्

One should worship the one with deformed eyes; he is not tainted by sins. My liṅga of stone is indeed worshipped by all the gods.

इत्युक्त्वा पूर्वमभ्यर्च्य रुद्रं त्रिभुवनेश्वरम् तुष्टाव वाग्भिर् इष्टाभिर् देवदेवं त्रियंबकम्

Having spoken thus, and first having worshipped Rudra, the Lord of the three worlds, he praised the god of gods, the three-eyed one, with chosen words.

तदाप्रभृति शक्राद्याः पूजयामासुरीश्वरम् साक्षात्पाशुपतं कृत्वा भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहाः

From that time, Indra and the others began to worship the Lord, having taken up the Pāśupata vow, their bodies smeared with ashes.

लिङ्गानि कल्पयित्वैवं स्वाधिकारानुरूपतः विश्वकर्मा ददौ तेषां नियोगाद्ब्रह्मणः प्रभोः

Having fashioned liṅgas according to their respective authority, Viśvakarman gave them by the command of Brahmā, the Lord.