Linga Purana

मन्दराद्रिप्रतीकाशैर् विमानैर्विश्वतोमुखैः अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णैर् देवदानवदुर्लभैः

With palaces resembling Mandara mountain, facing all directions, filled with hosts of apsarases, and unattainable even by gods and demons.

गत्वा शिवपुरं रम्यं भुक्त्वा भोगान् यथेप्सितान् ज्ञानयोगं समासाद्य गाणपत्यं लभेन्नरः

Having reached the delightful city of Śiva, enjoying pleasures as desired, and attaining union with knowledge and yoga, a man obtains the state of Gaṇapati.

यः कुर्यान्मेरुनामानं प्रासादं परमेष्ठिनः स यत्फलमवाप्नोति न तत् सर्वैर् महामखैः

Whoever builds a temple for the Supreme Lord named Meru attains a fruit that cannot be gained by all the great sacrifices.

सर्वयज्ञतपोदानतीर्थवेदेषु यत्फलम् तत्फलं सकलं लब्ध्वा शिववन्मोदते चिरम्

The fruit obtained from all sacrifices, austerities, gifts, pilgrimages, and Vedas—having gained all that fruit, he delights in Śiva's forest for a long time.

निषधं नाम यः कुर्यात् प्रासादं भक्तितः सुधीः शिवलोकमनुप्राप्य शिववन्मोदते चिरम्

Whoever, with devotion, builds a temple named Niṣadha, that wise one, having reached the world of Śiva, delights in Śiva's forest for a long time.

कुर्याद्वा यः शुभं विप्रा हिमशैलमनुत्तमम् हिमशैलोपमैर् यानैर् गत्वा शिवपुरं शुभम्

Or whoever, O brāhmaṇas, builds the most excellent Himashaila, traveling to the auspicious city of Śiva in vehicles resembling the snowy mountain—

ज्ञानयोगं समासाद्य गाणपत्यमवाप्नुयात् नीलाद्रिशिखराख्यं वा प्रासादं यः सुशोभनम्

Having attained union with knowledge and yoga, he obtains the state of Gaṇapati; or whoever builds a beautiful temple called Nīlādriśikhara—

कृत्वा वित्तानुसारेण भक्त्या रुद्राय शंभवे यत्फलं लभते मर्त्यस् तत्फलं प्रवदाम्यहम्

Having built it according to his means, with devotion to Rudra, Śambhu, the fruit that a mortal attains—I shall declare that fruit.

हिमशैले कृते भक्त्या यत्फलं प्राक् तवोदितम् तत्फलं सकलं लब्ध्वा सर्वदेवनमस्कृतः

The fruit that was previously described as arising from building Himashaila with devotion—having gained all that fruit, he is honored by all the gods.

रुद्रलोकमनुप्राप्य रुद्रैः सार्धं प्रमोदते महेन्द्रशैलनामानं प्रासादं रुद्रसंमतम्

Having reached Rudra's world, he rejoices together with the Rudras; or, having built a temple named Mahendraśaila, approved by Rudra—

कृत्वा यत्फलमाप्नोति तत्फलं प्रवदाम्यहम् महेन्द्रपर्वताकारैर् विमानैर्वृषसंयुतैः

The fruit that is obtained by building it, I shall declare that fruit: with palaces shaped like Mahendra mountain, adorned with bulls.

गत्वा शिवपुरं दिव्यं भुक्त्वा भोगान्यथेप्सितान् ज्ञानं विचारितं रुद्रैः सम्प्राप्य मुनिपुङ्गवाः

Having gone to the divine city of Shiva and enjoyed pleasures as desired, the foremost sages, having attained the knowledge discerned by the Rudras, return.

विषयान् विषवत् त्यक्त्वा शिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात् हेम्ना यस्तु प्रकुर्वीत प्रासादं रत्नशोभितम्

Abandoning sense objects as one would poison, one attains union with Shiva; and whoever constructs a temple adorned with jewels out of gold—

द्राविडं नागरं वापि केसरं वा विधानतः कूटं वा मण्डपं वापि समं वा दीर्घम् एव च

Whether Dravidian, Nagara, Keshara style, or according to prescribed forms, whether a tower, a pavilion, square or elongated—

न तस्य शक्यते वक्तुं पुण्यं शतयुगैरपि जीर्णं वा पतितं वापि खण्डितं स्फुटितं तथा

Its merit cannot be described, not even in a hundred ages; whether it becomes old, falls, is broken, or cracked—

पूर्ववत्कारयेद्यस्तु द्वाराद्यैः सुशुभं द्विजाः प्रासादं मण्डपं वापि प्राकारं गोपुरं तु वा

Whoever restores it as before, with beautiful doors and the like, O twice-born, whether a temple, pavilion, enclosure, or gateway—

कर्तुरप्यधिकं पुण्यं लभते नात्र संशयः वृत्त्यर्थं वा प्रकुर्वीत नरः कर्म शिवालये

He obtains even greater merit than the original builder, without doubt; or if a person performs work in Shiva's temple for livelihood—

यः स याति न संदेहः स्वर्गलोकं सबान्धवः यश्चात्मभोगसिद्ध्यर्थम् अपि रुद्रालये सकृत्

He, along with his relatives, surely goes to the heavenly world; and even if one acts in Rudra's temple for personal enjoyment—

कर्म कुर्याद्यदि सुखं लब्ध्वा चापि प्रमोदते तस्माद् आयतनं भक्त्या यः कुर्यान् मुनिसत्तमाः

If he performs work and, having obtained happiness, rejoices—therefore, O best of sages, whoever builds a shrine with devotion—

काष्ठेष्टकादिभिर् मर्त्यः शिवलोके महीयते प्रसादार्थं महेशस्य प्रासादे मुनिपुङ्गवाः

A mortal who, for the sake of a temple for Mahesha, constructs with wood, bricks, and the like, is honored in Shiva's world, O foremost sages.

कर्तव्यः सर्वयत्नेन धर्मकामार्थमुक्तये अशक्तश्चेन्मुनिश्रेष्ठाः प्रासादं कर्तुमुत्तमम्

A temple must be constructed with all effort for the sake of virtue, desire, and liberation; but if unable, O best of sages, to build an excellent temple—

संमार्जनादिभिर् वापि सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात् संमार्जनं तु यः कुर्यान् मार्जन्या मृदुसूक्ष्मया

Even by sweeping and similar acts, one attains all desires; whoever sweeps with a soft and fine broom—

चान्द्रायणसहस्रस्य फलं मासेन लभ्यते यः कुर्याद्वस्त्रपूतेन गन्धगोमयवारिणा

In a month, he obtains the fruit of a thousand Cāndrāyaṇa vows; whoever properly applies a coating with water mixed with fragrant cow dung, purified by cloth—

आलेपनं यथान्यायं वर्षचान्द्रायणं लभेत् अर्धक्रोशं शिवक्षेत्रं शिवलिङ्गात्समन्ततः

He obtains, as is proper, the fruit of a yearly Cāndrāyaṇa; half a krosha around the Shiva field, from the Shiva-linga in all directions—

यस् त्यजेद् दुस्त्यजान् प्राणाञ् शिवसायुज्यम् आप्नुयात् स्वायंभुवस्य मानं हि तथा बाणस्य सुव्रताः

Whoever gives up even the most difficult-to-abandon life attains union with Shiva; the measure of Svayambhu and likewise of Bana, O virtuous ones—

स्वायंभुवे तदर्धं स्यात् स्याद् आर्षे च तदर्धकम् मानुषे च तदर्धं स्यात् क्षेत्रमानं द्विजोत्तमाः

In Svayambhu, it is that measure; in Arsha, it is half of that; in human, it is half of that—this is the measure of the field, O best of twice-born.

एवं यतीनामावासे क्षेत्रमानं द्विजोत्तमाः रुद्रावतारे चाद्यं यच् छिष्ये चैव प्रशिष्यके

In the same way, O best of twice-born, the measure of the field applies to the residence of ascetics, and in the Rudra incarnation, to the teacher and his disciple.

नरावतारे तच्छिष्ये तच्छिष्ये च प्रशिष्यके श्रीपर्वते महापुण्ये तस्य प्रान्ते च वा द्विजाः

In the human incarnation, to the disciple, and to the disciple's disciple; on the holy Shri Parvata and at its edge, O twice-born—

तस्मिन्वा यस्त्यजेत्प्राणाञ् छिवसायुज्यमाप्नुयात् वाराणस्यां तथाप्येवम् अविमुक्ते विशेषतः

Whoever gives up his life there attains union with Shiva; likewise in Varanasi, and especially in Avimukta.