Linga Purana

पद्मकिञ्जल्कसंकाशैर् अंशुकैरतिशोभनाः वलयैर्नूपुरैर्हारैश् छत्रैश्चित्रैस्तथांशुकैः

They shone beautifully with garments like lotus filaments, with bangles, anklets, necklaces, and decorated parasols and robes.

भूषिता भूषितैश् चान्यैर् मण्डिता मण्डनप्रियाः दृष्ट्वाथ वृन्दं सुरसुन्दरीणां गणेश्वराणां सुरसुन्दरीणाम् जग्मुर्गणेशस्य पुरं सुरेशाः पुरद्विषः शक्रपुरोगमाश् च

Adorned with many ornaments, fond of decoration, when the gods saw the assembly of celestial beauties and the leaders of the hosts, they proceeded to the city of the Lord of hosts, the enemies of cities, with Indra at their head.

दृष्ट्वा च तस्थुः सुरसिद्धसंघाः पुरस्य मध्ये पुरुहूतपूर्वाः भवस्य बालार्कसहस्रवर्णं विमानमाद्यं परमेश्वरस्य

Having seen this, the groups of gods and Siddhas, led by Puruhuta, stood in the middle of the city, beholding the foremost palace of the supreme Lord, shining with the color of a thousand rising suns.

अथ तस्य विमानस्य द्वारि संस्थं गणेश्वरम् नन्दिनं ददृशुः सर्वे देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः

Then, at the gate of that palace, all the gods, with Indra at their head, saw Nandin, the lord of the hosts, standing there.

तं दृष्ट्वा नन्दिनं सर्वे प्रणम्याहुर् गणेश्वरम् जयेति देवास्तं दृष्ट्वा सो ऽप्याह च गणेश्वरः

Seeing Nandin, all the gods bowed and said to the lord of the hosts, 'Victory!' And the lord of the hosts replied to them.

भो भो देवा महाभागाः सर्वे निर्धूतकल्मषाः सम्प्राप्ताः सर्वलोकेशा वक्तुमर्हथ सुव्रताः

"O gods, greatly fortunate, all your sins removed, you have arrived, O lords of all worlds. You, steadfast in vows, may speak your purpose."

तमाहुर्वरदं देवं वारणेन्द्रसमप्रभम् पशुपाशविमोक्षार्थं दर्शयास्मान् महेश्वरम्

They said, "Show us the boon-giving god, radiant as the lord of elephants, Maheshvara, for the purpose of releasing us from the bonds of existence."

पुरा पुरत्रयं दग्धुं पशुत्वं परिभाषितम् शङ्किताश् च वयं तत्र पशुत्वं प्रति सुव्रत

"Formerly, when the three cities were to be burned, we were called 'beasts.' Because of that, O steadfast one, we are anxious regarding this 'beast-hood.'"

व्रतं पाशुपतं प्रोक्तं भवेन परमेष्ठिना व्रतेनानेन भूतेश पशुत्वं नैव विद्यते

"The Pashupata vow was declared by Bhava, the supreme lord. By this vow, O lord of beings, 'beast-hood' does not exist at all."

अथ द्वादशवर्षं वा मासद्वादशकं तु वा दिनद्वादशकं वापि कृत्वा तद् व्रतम् उत्तमम्

Now, whether for twelve years, or for twelve months, or even for twelve days, if one observes that supreme vow—

मुच्यन्ते पशवः सर्वे पशुपाशैर्भवस्य तु दर्शयामास तान्देवान् नारायणपुरोगमान्

All beings are freed from the bonds of existence; he revealed them thus to the gods, with Nārāyaṇa at their head.

नन्दी शिलादतनयः सर्वभूतगणाग्रणीः तं दृष्ट्वा देवमीशानं सांबं सगणम् अव्ययम्

Nandī, son of Śilāda, foremost among all hosts of beings, upon seeing the imperishable Lord Īśāna together with Sāmbā and his attendants—

प्रणेमुस् तुष्टुवुश् चैव प्रीतिकण्टकितत्वचः विज्ञाप्य शितिकण्ठाय पशुपाशविमोक्षणम्

They bowed and praised him, their skin bristling with joy, and informed the blue-throated one of the release from the bonds of existence.

तस्थुस्तदाग्रतः शंभोः प्रणिपत्य पुनः पुनः ततः सम्प्रेक्ष्य तान् सर्वान् देवदेवो वृषध्वजः

They stood before Śambhu, repeatedly bowing down; then, seeing them all, the god of gods, the bull-bannered one—

विशोध्य तेषां देवानां पशुत्वं परमेश्वरः व्रतं पाशुपतं चैव स्वयं देवो महेश्वरः

The supreme Lord purified the state of bondage from those gods; the god Maheśvara himself instructed them in the Pāśupata vow.

उपदिश्य मुनीनां च सहास्ते चांबया भवः तदाप्रभृति ते देवाः सर्वे पाशुपताः स्मृताः

He taught it also to the sages, together with Ambā; from that time, all those gods have been known as Pāśupatas.

पशूनां च पतिर्यस्मात् तेषां साक्षाद्धि देवताः तस्मात्पाशुपताः प्रोक्तास् तपस्तेपुश् च ते पुनः

Because he is the lord of beings, and they are directly deities, therefore they are called Pāśupatas; and again, they performed austerities.

ततो द्वादशवर्षान्ते मुक्तपाशाः सुरोत्तमाः ययुर्यथागतं सर्वे ब्रह्मणा सह विष्णुना

Then, at the end of twelve years, the excellent gods, freed from their bonds, all departed as they had come, along with Brahmā and Viṣṇu.

एतद्वः कथितं सर्वं पितामहमुखाच्छ्रुतम् पुरा सनत्कुमारेण तस्माद्व्यासेन धीमता

All this has been told to you, as heard from the mouth of the Grandfather, formerly by Sanatkumāra, and thus by the wise Vyāsa.

यः श्रावयेच्छुचिर् विप्राञ् छृणुयाद्वा शुचिर्नरः स देहभेदमासाद्य पशुपाशैः प्रमुच्यते

Whoever, being pure, recites this to the brāhmaṇas, or hears it, being pure, is freed from the bonds of existence upon the dissolution of the body.

व्रतमेतत्त्वया प्रोक्तं पशुपाशविमोक्षणम् व्रतं पाशुपतं लैङ्गं पुरा देवैर् अनुष्ठितम्

This vow, which you have described, is the release from the bonds of existence—the Pāśupata vow, pertaining to the Liṅga, formerly practiced by the gods.

वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं यथापूर्वं त्वया श्रुतम् पुरा सनत्कुमारेण पृष्टः शैलादिरादरात्

You should tell us, just as you heard before, when you were once respectfully questioned by Sanatkumāra, O lord of the mountains.

नन्दी प्राह वचस्तस्मै प्रवदामि समासतः देवैर्दैत्यैस् तथा सिद्धैर् गन्धर्वैः सिद्धचारणैः

Nandī then spoke these words to him: I shall briefly recount it—the vow practiced by gods, asuras, siddhas, gandharvas, and accomplished cāraṇas—

मुनिभिश् च महाभागैर् अनुष्ठितमनुत्तमम् व्रतं द्वादशलिङ्गाख्यं पशुपाशविमोक्षणम्

And by the greatly fortunate sages: the supreme vow called the Twelve Liṅgas, which is the release from the bonds of existence.

भोगदं योगदं चैव कामदं मुक्तिदं शुभम् अवियोगकरं पुण्यं भक्तानां भयनाशनम्

It grants enjoyment, yoga, wishes, liberation, and auspiciousness; it brings inseparable merit, destroys fear for devotees.

षडङ्गसहितान् वेदान् मथित्वा तेन निर्मितम् सर्वदानोत्तमं पुण्यम् अश्वमेधायुताधिकम्

Having churned the Vedas together with their six limbs, it was established by that; it is the highest of all gifts, more meritorious than ten thousand horse sacrifices.

सर्वमङ्गलदं पुण्यं सर्वशत्रुविनाशनम् संसारार्णवमग्नानां जन्तूनामपि मोक्षदम्

It bestows all auspiciousness and merit, destroys all enemies, and grants liberation even to creatures immersed in the ocean of worldly existence.

सर्वव्याधिहरं चैव सर्वज्वरविनाशनम् देवैरनुष्ठितं पूर्वं ब्रह्मणा विष्णुना तथा

It destroys all diseases and removes every fever; it was formerly performed by the gods, by Brahmā and also by Viṣṇu.

कृत्वा कनीयसं लिङ्गं स्नाप्य चन्दनवारिणा चैत्रमासादि विप्रेन्द्राः शिवलिङ्गव्रतं चरेत्

Having made a small liṅga and bathed it with sandalwood water, O foremost of Brāhmaṇas, one should observe the vow of the Śivaliṅga beginning from the month of Caitra.