Linga Purana

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.

मृन्मयं क्षणिकं वापि भक्त्या स्थाप्य फलं शुभम् सुरेन्द्राम्भोजगर्भाग्नियमाम्बुपधनेश्वरैः

Whether clay or temporary, established with devotion, the auspicious fruit is obtained, by the lords of gods, lotuses, fire, water, and wealth.

सिद्धविद्याधराहीन्द्रैर् यक्षदानवकिन्नरैः स्तूयमानः सुपुण्यात्मा देवदुन्दुभिनिःस्वनैः

Praised by accomplished beings, Vidyadharas, serpent kings, Yakshas, demons, and Kinnaras, the supremely virtuous soul, with the sound of divine drums.

भूर्भूवःस्वर्महर्लोकान् क्रमाद् वै जनतः परम् तपः सत्यं पराक्रम्य भासयन् स्वेन तेजसा

He illumines the worlds—earth, atmosphere, heaven, and higher realms—in order, surpassing the highest, tapas, and truth, with his own radiance.

लिङ्गस्थापनसन्मार्गनिहितस्वायतासिना आशु ब्रह्माण्डमुद्भिद्य निर्गच्छन्निर्विशङ्कया

Having placed himself on the path of proper linga establishment, with his own extended sword, he swiftly pierces the cosmic egg and emerges without hesitation.

शैलजं रत्नजं वापि धातुजं वापि दारुजम् मृन्मयं क्षणिकं त्यक्त्वा स्थापयेत्सकलं वपुः

Abandoning stone-born, gem-born, metal-born, wooden, clay, and temporary lingas, one should establish the entire form.

विधिना चैव कृत्वा तु स्कन्दोमासहितं शुभम् कुन्दगोक्षीरसंकाशं लिङ्गं यः स्थापयेन्नरः

And having performed the rite together with Skanda's month, the man who establishes the linga, shining like jasmine and cow's milk, is auspicious.

नृणां तनुं समास्थाय स्थितो रुद्रो न संशयः दर्शनात्स्पर्शनात्तस्य लभन्ते निर्वृतिं नराः

Rudra, without doubt, abides having assumed a human form; from seeing and touching him, people attain fulfillment.

तस्य पुण्यं मया वक्तुं सम्यग्युगशतैरपि शक्यते नैव विप्रेन्द्रास् तस्माद् वै स्थापयेत् तथा

Even with hundreds of ages, O foremost Brahmins, it is not possible for me to properly describe his merit; therefore, one should establish him accordingly.

सर्वेषामेव मर्त्यानां विभोर्दिव्यं वपुः शुभम् सकलं भावनायोग्यं योगिनामेव निष्कलम्

The divine, auspicious form of the Lord is suitable for contemplation by all mortals; but for yogis alone, it is formless.

निष्कलो निर्मलो नित्यः सकलत्वं कथं गतः वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं यथा पूर्वं यथा श्रुतम्

He is formless, pure, eternal; how did he attain the state of having forms? You ought to tell us, as it was formerly heard.