Linga Purana

शब्दादिविषयं ज्ञानं ज्ञानमित्यभिधीयते तज्ज्ञानं भ्रान्तिरहितम् इत्यन्ये नेति चापरे

Knowledge concerning objects such as sound is called knowledge; that knowledge, free from error, is what some declare, while others say 'not so.'

यज्ज्ञानं निर्मलं शुद्धं निर्विकल्पं निराश्रयम् गुरुप्रकाशकं ज्ञानम् इत्यन्ये मुनयो द्विजाः

That knowledge which is pure, spotless, without differentiation, and without dependence, which reveals the teacher, is called knowledge by some sages and Brahmins.

ज्ञानेनैव भवेन्मुक्तिः प्रसादो ज्ञानसिद्धये उभाभ्यां मुच्यते योगी तत्रानन्दमयो भवेत्

Liberation comes only through knowledge; grace is for the attainment of knowledge; by both, the yogi is freed and becomes filled with bliss.

वदन्ति मुनयः केचित् कर्मणा तस्य संगतिम् कल्पनाकल्पितं रूपं संहृत्य स्वेच्छयैव हि

Some sages say that through action, his connection is established; having withdrawn the imagined form, he acts solely by his own will.

द्यौर्मूर्धा तु विभोस्तस्य खं नाभिः परमेष्ठिनः सोमसूर्याग्नयो नेत्रे दिशः श्रोत्रं महात्मनः

The sky is the head of the Lord; space is the navel of the Supreme; moon, sun, and fire are his eyes; the directions are the ears of the great soul.

चरणौ चैव पातालं समुद्रस्तस्य चांबरम् देवास्तस्य भुजाः सर्वे नक्षत्राणि च भूषणम्

The netherworld is his feet, the ocean his garment; all the gods are his arms, and the stars are his ornaments.

प्रकृतिस्तस्य पत्नी च पुरुषो लिङ्गमुच्यते वक्त्राद्वै ब्राह्मणाः सर्वे ब्रह्मा च भगवान्प्रभुः

Nature is his wife, and the person is called the linga; from his mouth are all Brahmins, and Brahma, the blessed Lord.

इन्द्रोपेन्द्रौ भुजाभ्यां तु क्षत्रियाश् च महात्मनः वैश्याश्चोरुप्रदेशात्तु शूद्राः पादात्पिनाकिनः

Indra and Upendra are from his arms, the Kshatriyas from the great soul; the Vaishyas are from his thighs, and the Shudras from the feet of Pinaka-holder.

पुष्करावर्तकाद्यास्तु केशास्तस्य प्रकीर्तिताः वायवो घ्राणजास्तस्य गतिः श्रौतं स्मृतिस् तथा

Lotus-whorl and other types are his hair, it is said; winds arise from his nose, movement from hearing, and likewise memory.

अथानेनैव कर्मात्मा प्रकृतेस्तु प्रवर्तकः पुंसां तु पुरुषः श्रीमान् ज्ञानगम्यो न चान्यथा

Thus, he is the soul of action, the initiator from nature; the glorious person is to be known through knowledge, not otherwise.

कर्मयज्ञसहस्रेभ्यस् तपोयज्ञो विशिष्यते तपोयज्ञसहस्रेभ्यो जपयज्ञो विशिष्यते

Among thousands of sacrificial acts, the austerity-sacrifice is superior; among thousands of austerity-sacrifices, the recitation-sacrifice is superior.

जपयज्ञसहस्रेभ्यो ध्यानयज्ञो विशिष्यते ध्यानयज्ञात्परो नास्ति ध्यानं ज्ञानस्य साधनम्

Among thousands of recitation-sacrifices, the meditation-sacrifice is superior; there is nothing higher than the meditation-sacrifice; meditation is the means to knowledge.

यदा समरसे निष्ठो योगी ध्यानेन पश्यति ध्यानयज्ञरतस्यास्य तदा संनिहितः शिवः

When the yogi, established in equanimity, perceives through meditation, then Shiva is present for one devoted to the meditation-sacrifice.

नास्ति विज्ञानिनां शौचं प्रायश्चित्तादि चोदना विशुद्धा विद्यया सर्वे ब्रह्मविद्याविदो जनाः

For those who possess true knowledge, there is no need for ritual purity or expiatory acts; all who know or do not know Brahman are purified by knowledge alone.

नास्ति क्रिया च लोकेषु सुखं दुःखं विचारतः धर्माधर्मौ जपो होमो ध्यानिनां संनिधिः सदा

For those who discern, there is no action in the world, nor happiness or sorrow; for those absorbed in meditation, righteousness and unrighteousness, recitation, and oblation are always present within.

परानन्दात्मकं लिङ्गं विशुद्धं शिवमक्षरम् निष्कलं सर्वगं ज्ञेयं योगिनां हृदि संस्थितम्

The liṅga, of the nature of supreme bliss, pure, auspicious, imperishable, without parts, all-pervading, is to be known as established in the heart of yogis.

लिङ्गं तु द्विविधं प्राहुर् बाह्यमाभ्यन्तरं द्विजाः बाह्यं स्थूलं मुनिश्रेष्ठाः सूक्ष्ममाभ्यन्तरं द्विजाः

The twice-born declare that the liṅga is of two kinds: external and internal; the best of sages say the external is gross, and the internal is subtle, O twice-born.

कर्मयज्ञरताः स्थूलाः स्थूललिङ्गार्चने रताः असतां भावनार्थाय नान्यथा स्थूलविग्रहः

Those devoted to ritual acts are attached to worship of the gross liṅga; the gross form is for the sake of contemplation by the unworthy, not otherwise.

आध्यात्मिकं च यल्लिङ्गं प्रत्यक्षं यस्य नो भवेत् असौ मूढो बहिः सर्वं कल्पयित्वैव नान्यथा

He whose internal liṅga is not directly perceived is deluded, imagining everything as external and nothing otherwise.

ज्ञानिनां सूक्ष्मममलं भवेत्प्रत्यक्षमव्ययम् यथा स्थूलमयुक्तानां मृत्काष्ठाद्यैः प्रकल्पितम्

For the wise, the subtle, stainless, imperishable liṅga is directly perceived, just as for the unwise, the gross one is imagined from clay, wood, and the like.

अर्थो विचारतो नास्तीत्य् अन्ये तत्त्वार्थवेदिनः निष्कलः सकलश्चेति सर्वं शिवमयं ततः

Some who know the essence of reality say that, upon reflection, there is no separate object; all is Śiva, both with and without attributes.

व्योमैकमपि दृष्टं हि शरावं प्रति सुव्रताः पृथक्त्वं चापृथक्त्वं च शङ्करस्येति चापरे

O virtuous ones, even space appears as one when seen in a pot; some say the distinction and non-distinction belong to Śaṅkara.

प्रत्ययार्थं हि जगताम् एकस्थो ऽपि दिवाकरः एको ऽपि बहुधा दृष्टो जलाधारेषु सुव्रताः

For the sake of understanding, O virtuous ones, though the sun is one, it is seen as many in different vessels of water in the world.

जन्तवो दिवि भूमौ च सर्वे वै पाञ्चभौतिकाः तथापि बहुला दृष्टा जातिव्यक्तिविभेदतः

All creatures in heaven and on earth are composed of the five elements; yet, due to differences of species and individuals, they are seen as many.

दृश्यते श्रूयते यद्यत् तत्तद्विद्धि शिवात्मकम् भेदो जनानां लोके ऽस्मिन् प्रतिभासो विचारतः

Whatever is seen or heard, know that to be of the nature of Śiva; the diversity among people in this world is only an appearance, upon reflection.

स्वप्ने च विपुलान् भोगान् भुक्त्वा मर्त्यः सुखी भवेत् दुःखी च भोगं दुःखं च नानुभूतं विचारतः

Even in dreams, after enjoying great pleasures, a mortal may be happy or unhappy, but upon reflection, neither pleasure nor pain is actually experienced.

एवमाहुस्तथान्ये च सर्वे वेदार्थतत्त्वगाः हृदि संसारिणां साक्षात् सकलः परमेश्वरः

Thus also say others who know the true meaning of the Vedas: the Supreme Lord, with all attributes, is directly present in the hearts of those bound in saṃsāra.

योगिनां निष्कलो देवो ज्ञानिनां च जगन्मयः त्रिविधं परमेशस्य वपुर्लोके प्रशस्यते

For yogis, the Lord is without attributes; for the wise, He is all-pervading; three forms of the Supreme Lord are praised in the world.

निष्कलं प्रथमं चैकं ततः सकलनिष्कलम् तृतीयं सकलं चैव नान्यथेति द्विजोत्तमाः

The first is the formless, then the form with and without attributes, and the third is with attributes; there is no other, O best of the twice-born.