Linga Purana

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.

इन्द्रनीलमयं लिङ्गं विष्णुना पूजितं सदा पद्मरागमयं शक्रो हैमं विश्रवसः सुतः

The liṅga made of sapphire is always worshipped by Viṣṇu; the one of ruby by Śakra; the golden one by the son of Viśravas.

विश्वेदेवास् तथा रौप्यं वसवः कान्तिकं शुभम् आरकूटमयं वायुर् अश्विनौ पार्थिवं सदा

The Viśvedevas worship a silver one; the Vasus, a shining and beautiful one; Vāyu, one of orpiment; the Aśvins, one of earth.

स्फाटिकं वरुणो राजा आदित्यास्ताम्रनिर्मितम् मौक्तिकं सोमराड् धीमांस् तथा लिङ्गमनुत्तमम्

King Varuṇa worships a crystal one; the Ādityas, one made of copper; the wise lord of Soma, a peerless pearl liṅga.

अनन्ताद्या महानागाः प्रवालकमयं शुभम् दैत्या ह्ययोमयं लिङ्गं राक्षसाश् च महात्मनः

The great serpents beginning with Ananta worship a beautiful coral one; the Daityas, an iron liṅga; and the great-souled Rākṣasas,

त्रैलोहिकं गुह्यकाश् च सर्वलोहमयं गणाः चामुण्डा सैकतं साक्षान् मातरश् च द्विजोत्तमाः

The Guhyakas worship a three-metal liṅga; the Gaṇas, one made of all metals; Cāmuṇḍā, a sand liṅga, and the Mothers, O best of twice-born,

दारुजं नैरृतिर् भक्त्या यमो मारकतं शुभम् नीलाद्याश् च तथा रुद्राः शुद्धं भस्ममयं शुभम्

Nairṛti worships a wooden one with devotion; Yama, a beautiful emerald one; the Rudras beginning with Nīla, a pure and auspicious ash liṅga.

लक्ष्मीवृक्षमयं लक्ष्मीर् गुहो वै गोमयात्मकम् मुनयो मुनिशार्दूलाः कुशाग्रमयम् उत्तमम्

Lakṣmī worships one made of the Lakṣmī tree; Guha, one of cow dung; the sages, O best of ascetics, an excellent one made of kuśa grass.

वामाद्याः पुष्पलिङ्गं तु गन्धलिङ्गं मनोन्मनी सरस्वती च रत्नेन कृतं रुद्रस्य वाग्भवा

The goddesses beginning with Vāmā worship a flower liṅga; Manonmanī, a fragrant liṅga; and Sarasvatī, a liṅga for Rudra made of a jewel, O lord of speech.

दुर्गा हैमं महादेवं सवेदिकमनुत्तमम् उग्रा पिष्टमयं सर्वे मन्त्रा ह्याज्यमयं शुभम्

Durga, the golden, supreme Mahadeva, together with its altar, fierce and made of flour, all mantras, and the auspicious ghee-made offering.

वेदाः सर्वे दधिमयं पिशाचाः सीसनिर्मितम् लेभिरे च यथायोग्यं प्रसादाद्ब्रह्मणः पदम्

All the Vedas are made of curd; the spirits are fashioned from lead; each received, as appropriate, the position by the grace of Brahma.

बहुनात्र किमुक्तेन चराचरमिदं जगत् शिवलिङ्गं समभ्यर्च्य स्थितमत्र न संशयः

What need is there for many words here? All the moving and unmoving world, having worshipped the Shiva-linga, remains established here—there is no doubt.

षड्विधं लिङ्गमित्याहुर् द्रव्याणां च प्रभेदतः तेषां भेदाश्चतुर्युक्तचत्वारिंशदिति स्मृताः

They say the linga is of six kinds, distinguished by their materials; their divisions are stated to be forty-four, described in fourfold ways.

शैलजं प्रथमं प्रोक्तं तद्धि साक्षाच्चतुर्विधम् द्वितीयं रत्नजं तच्च सप्तधा मुनिसत्तमाः

The first is called stone-born, and it is directly fourfold; the second is gem-born, and it is sevenfold, O best of sages.

तृतीयं धातुजं लिङ्गम् अष्टधा परमेष्ठिनः तुरीयं दारुजं लिङ्गं तत्तु षोडशधोच्यते

The third is the metal-born linga, eightfold according to the Supreme; the fourth is the wooden linga, which is said to be sixteenfold.

मृन्मयं पञ्चमं लिङ्गं द्विधा भिन्नं द्विजोत्तमाः षष्ठं तु क्षणिकं लिङ्गं सप्तधा परिकीर्तितम्

The fifth is the clay linga, divided in two, O best of twice-born; the sixth is the temporary linga, spoken of as sevenfold.

श्रीप्रदं रत्नजं लिङ्गं शैलजं सर्वसिद्धिदम् धातुजं धनदं साक्षाद् दारुजं भोगसिद्धिदम्

The gem-born linga grants prosperity; the stone-born grants all accomplishments; the metal-born directly grants wealth; the wooden grants attainment of enjoyment.

मृन्मयं चैव विप्रेन्द्राः सर्वसिद्धिकरं शुभम् शैलजं चोत्तमं प्रोक्तं मध्यमं चैव धातुजम्

And the clay linga, O foremost of Brahmins, is auspicious and grants all accomplishments; the stone-born is said to be the highest, and the metal-born is considered middling.

बहुधा लिङ्गभेदाश् च नव चैव समासतः मूले ब्रह्मा तथा मध्ये विष्णुस्त्रिभुवनेश्वरः

There are many kinds of lingas, and nine in summary; at the base is Brahma, and in the middle is Vishnu, lord of the three worlds.

रुद्रोपरि महादेवः प्रणवाख्यः सदाशिवः लिङ्गवेदी महादेवी त्रिगुणा त्रिमयांबिका

Above is Rudra, Mahadeva, called Pranava, Sadashiva; the linga altar is Mahadevi, threefold, the triple-formed Ambika.

तया च पूजयेद्यस्तु देवी देवश् च पूजितौ शैलजं रत्नजं वापि धातुजं वापि दारुजम्

Whoever worships with her, both the goddess and the god are worshipped, whether stone-born, gem-born, metal-born, or wooden.