Linga Purana

दत्त्वा पञ्चविधं धूपं पायसं च निवेदयेत् दधिभक्तं च मध्वाज्यपरिप्लुतमतः परम्

Having offered five kinds of incense, one should present sweet rice, curd-rice, and food soaked in honey and ghee thereafter.

शुद्धान्नं चैव मुद्गान्नं षड्विधं च निवेदयेत् अथ पञ्चविधं वापि सघृतं विनिवेदयेत्

One should also offer pure rice, mung-bean rice, and six kinds of food; or else, five kinds of food with ghee may be presented.

केवलं चापि शुद्धान्नम् आढकं तण्डुलं पचेत् कृत्वा प्रदक्षिणं चान्ते नमस्कृत्य मुहुर्मुहुः

Or simply cook one āḍhaka of pure rice; after circumambulating, one should bow repeatedly at the end.

स्तुत्वा च देवमीशानं पुनः सम्पूज्य शङ्करम् ईशानं पुरुषं चैव अघोरं वाममेव च

Having praised the god Īśāna, and again worshipped Śaṅkara, one should also worship Īśāna, Puruṣa, Aghora, and Vāma.

सद्योजातं जपंश्चापि पञ्चभिः पूजयेच्छिवम् अनेन विधिना देवः प्रसीदति महेश्वरः

And also recite the Sadyojāta mantra; with these five, one should worship Śiva. By this method, the great lord is pleased.

वृक्षाः पुष्पादिपत्राद्यैर् उपयुक्ताः शिवार्चने गावश्चैव द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्रयान्ति परमां गतिम्

Trees whose flowers and leaves are used in the worship of Śiva, as well as cows and best of twice-born, attain the highest state.

पूजयेद्यः शिवं रुद्रं शर्वं भवमजं सकृत् स याति शिवसायुज्यं पुनरावृत्तिवर्जितम्

Whoever worships Śiva, Rudra, Śarva, Bhava, or the Unborn, even once, attains union with Śiva, free from rebirth.

अर्चितं परमेशानं भवं शर्वमुमापतिम् सकृत्प्रसंगाद्वा दृष्ट्वा सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

If one worships Parameśāna, Bhava, Śarva, or the consort of Umā, or even sees him by chance, one is freed from all sins.

पूजितं वा महादेवं पूज्यमानमथापि वा दृष्ट्वा प्रयाति वै मर्त्यो ब्रह्मलोकं न संशयः

If one worships or even sees Mahādeva being worshipped, that mortal surely goes to the world of Brahma—there is no doubt.

श्रुत्वानुमोदयेच्चापि स याति परमां गतिम् यो दद्याद् घृतदीपं च सकृल्लिङ्गस्य चाग्रतः

Even hearing and approving, one attains the highest state. Whoever offers a ghee lamp even once before the liṅga—

स तां गतिम् अवाप्नोति स्वाश्रमैर् दुर्लभां स्थिराम् दीपवृक्षं पार्थिवं वा दारवं वा शिवालये

He attains that state, firm and hard to obtain even for those in their own āśramas, whether the lamp is of wood, earth, or any material, in the abode of Śiva.

दत्त्वा कुलशतं साग्रं शिवलोके महीयते आयसं ताम्रजं वापि रौप्यं सौवर्णिकं तथा

Having given, along with his family, he is honored in the world of Śiva; whether the lamp is of iron, copper, silver, or gold.

शिवाय दीपं यो दद्याद् विधिना वापि भक्तितः सूर्यायुतसमैः श्लक्ष्णैर् यानैः शिवपुरं व्रजेत्

Whoever offers a lamp to Śiva, according to rule or with devotion, goes to the city of Śiva in vehicles as splendid as ten thousand suns.

कार्तिके मासि यो दद्याद् घृतदीपं शिवाग्रतः सम्पूज्यमानं वा पश्येद् विधिना परमेश्वरम्

Whoever offers a ghee lamp before Śiva in the month of Kārtika, or sees Parameśvara being worshipped according to rule—

स याति ब्रह्मणो लोकं श्रद्धया मुनिसत्तमाः आवाहनं सुसान्निध्यं स्थापनं पूजनं तथा

He goes to the world of Brahmā, O best of sages, with faith; invocation, presence, installation, and worship likewise.

सम्प्रोक्तं रुद्रगायत्र्या आसनं प्रणवेन वै पञ्चभिः स्नपनं प्रोक्तं रुद्राद्यैश् च विशेषतः

The seat is prescribed with the Rudra Gāyatrī and the Praṇava; the ablution is said to be performed five times, especially with Rudra and the others.

एवं सम्पूजयेन्नित्यं देवदेवमुमापतिम् ब्रह्माणं दक्षिणे तस्य प्रणवेन समर्चयेत्

Thus, one should worship daily the God of gods, the consort of Umā; to his right, Brahmā should be especially honored with the Praṇava.

उत्तरे देवदेवेशं विष्णुं गायत्रिया यजेत् वह्नौ हुत्वा यथान्यायं पञ्चभिः प्रणवेन च

To the north, one should worship Viṣṇu, the Lord of gods, with the Gāyatrī; and, having offered oblations into the fire as prescribed, with the Praṇava five times.

स याति शिवसायुज्यम् एवं सम्पूज्य शङ्करम् इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तो लिङ्गार्चनविधिक्रमः

He attains union with Śiva by thus worshipping Śaṅkara; in summary, the procedure for worshipping the Liṅga has been stated.

व्यासेन कथितः पूर्वं श्रुत्वा रुद्रमुखात्स्वयम्

This was previously taught by Vyāsa, having heard it directly from the mouth of Rudra.

कथं पशुपतिं दृष्ट्वा पशुपाशविमोक्षणम् पशुत्वं तत्यजुर्देवास् तन्नो वक्तुमिहार्हसि

How, upon seeing Paśupati, did the gods abandon their bondage as cattle? You ought to tell us here how they were freed from that state.

पुरा कैलासशिखरे भोग्याख्ये स्वपुरे स्थितम् समेत्य देवाः सर्वज्ञम् आजग्मुस्तत्प्रसादतः

Long ago, on the peak of Kailāsa, in his own city called Bhogya, the gods assembled and approached the all-knowing one by his grace.

हिताय सर्वदेवानां ब्रह्मणा च जनार्दनः गरुडस्य तथा स्कन्धम् आरुह्य पुरुषोत्तमः

For the welfare of all the gods, Janārdana, along with Brahmā, mounted upon the shoulder of Garuḍa, the supreme person.

जगाम देवताभिर् वै देवदेवान्तिकं हरिः सर्वे सम्प्राप्य देवस्य सार्धं गिरिवरं शुभम्

Hari, together with the deities, went before the God of gods; all of them, having reached the auspicious great mountain with the Lord, remained there.

सेन्द्राः ससाध्याः सयमाः प्रणेमुर् गिरिमुत्तमम् भगवान् वासुदेवो ऽसौ गरुडाद् गरुडध्वजः अवतीर्य गिरिं मेरुम् आरुरोह सुरोत्तमैः

With Indra, the Sādhyas, and the Yamas, they bowed to the excellent mountain; the blessed Vāsudeva, the bearer of Garuḍa, descended from Garuḍa and ascended Mount Meru with the best of the gods.

सकलदुरितहीनं सर्वदं भोगमुख्यं मुदितकुररवृन्दं नादितं नागवृन्दैः मधुररणितगीतं सानुकूलान्धकारं पदरचितवनान्तं कान्तवातान्ततोयम्

Free from all misfortune, ever bestowing supreme enjoyment, resounding with the joyful cries of curlews, filled with the songs of serpents, sweetly echoing with melodious music, shaded with gentle darkness, and bordered by groves, with lovely breezes and cool waters.

भवनशतसहस्रैर् जुष्टम् आदित्यकल्पैर् ललितगतिविदग्धैर् हंसवृन्दैश् च भिन्नम् धवखदिरपलाशैश् चन्दनाद्यैश् च वृक्षैर् द्विजवरगणवृन्दैः कोकिलाद्यैर्द्विरेफैः

Adorned with hundreds of thousands of mansions, radiant as the sun, graced by elegant and skillful flocks of swans, interspersed with dhava, khadira, palāśa, sandalwood, and other trees, and filled with hosts of excellent birds, cuckoos, and bees.

क्वचिदशेषसुरद्रुमसंकुलं कुरबकैः प्रियकैस्तिलकैस् तथा बहुकदम्बतमाललतावृतं गिरिवरं शिखरैर्विविधैस् तथा

In some places thick with all kinds of divine trees, with kurabaka, priyaka, tilaka, and many kadamba, tamāla, and latā vines, the great mountain was covered with various peaks.

गिरेः पृष्ठे परं शार्वं कल्पितं विश्वकर्मणा क्रीडार्थं देवदेवस्य भवस्य परमेष्ठिनः

On the summit of the mountain, a supreme Śaiva abode was fashioned by Viśvakarman for the sport of the God of gods, Bhava, the supreme lord.